IRLF 


Practical 


!!  nil  iiii  i 


Practical  Track  Work 

(SECOND  EDITION) 


Practical  Track  Work 

(SECOND  EDITION) 


By  Kenneth  L.  Van  Auken 


Railway  Educational  Press,  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 
Chicago       :       :       :       :       :       Illinois 


Copyright   1916, 

Railway  Educational  Press,  Inc. 
Chicago,  Illinois. 


TABLE   Op  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  I 

LABOR  AND  ORGANIZATION. 

Supply  and  Demand  —  Exorbitant  Fees  —  Exclusive 
Agencies — Misrepresentation  —  Interpreters — Transient 
Labor — Year  Around  Work — Wages  of  Laborers — 
Methods  of  Obtaining  Laborers — Choice  of  Laborers — 
Suggested  Method — Company  Labor  Bureaus — Com- 
pany Boarding  Camps — Graded  Rates  of  Wages — In- 
struction— Foreman's  Treatment  of  Men — Combination 
of  Forces — Organization  of  Track  Gangs — The  Indi- 
vidual Laborer — Handling  Laborers — Maximum  Super- 
vision— New  Methods. 

CHAPTER  II 
TRACK  TOOLS 30 

Good  Tools — Ordering  Tools — Full  Use  of  Materials — 
Keeping  Tools  in  Repair — Tool  Boxes — Loss  of  Tools — 
Hand  Cars — Wheels  Binding — Front  and  Rear — Grind- 
ing— Oiling — Motor  Cars — Operators — Keeping  Cars 
Clean — Inspection — Filling  the  Tank — Spark  Plugs — 
Dry  Cells — Not  to  Be  Used  for  Recreation — Instruc- 
tions— Care  in  Operation — Details  of  Motor  Car  Oper- 
ation— Starting  Motor  Cars  in  Cold  Weather — Causes 
of  Trouble  with  Motor  Cars. 

CHAPTER  III 
SPIKING,  CUTTING  AND  CURVING  RAILS,  ETC 49 

Spiking — Whipping  Spikes — Gage  Spikers — Expanson — 
Cutting  Rails — Cutting  Off  Short  Pieces  of  Rail — Simple 
Method  of  Cutting  Rails — Curving  Rails — Rail  Benders 
— Putting  a  Stock  in  Rails — Superelevation  on  Curves — 
Curve  Elevatiqn  on  Double  Track — Widening  of  Gage — 
Tie  Plates. 

CHAPTER  IV 
CONSTRUCTING  TRACK  ON  A  NEW  LINE 60 

Material  Yard — Arrangement  of  Yard — Passing  Tracks 
— Boarding  Camp — Material  Trains — Methods  of  Track 
Laying — (1)  Laying  Track  with  a  Rail  Car — (2)  Use  of 
Rail  Car,  with  Teams  Hauling  Ties — (3)  Use  of  Engine 


342160 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


and  Flat  Car  with  Tie  Teams — Hurley  Track  Layer — 
Roberts  Track  Layer — Cost  of  Track  Laying  with  a 
Roberts  Machine — Harris  Track  Layer  —  Drummond 
Track  Layer — Track  Laying  with  an  Improvised  Pioneer 
Car — Use  of  Derrick  for  Laying  Track — The  Work  in 
Detail  —  Tie  Spacers  —  Rail  Gang — <  Gage  Man  —  Strap 
Hangers — Peddlers — Head  Line  Spikers — High  Spikers — 
Disposal  of  Spikers — Back  Bolters — Tool  Man — Assistant 
Foreman — Foreman — Anti  Creepers — Conclusion. 


CHAPTER  V 
BUILDING  SECOND  TRACK 06 

Double  Tracking — Distributing  for  Second  Track — Un- 
loading Rails — Rail  Derrick — Air  Unloaders  or  Loco- 
motive Cranes — Unloading  Rails  from  Flat  Cars — Skids 
— V-Frames — Placing  Rails — Distributing  Ties — Dis- 
tributing Angle  Bars — Distributing  Track  Bolts — Dis- 
tributing Nut  Locks — Distributing  Track  Spikes — Si- 
multaneous Distribution — Organization  for  Laying- 
Track — Lack  of  Men — Setting  up  Rails — Tool  Boxes. 

CHAPTER  VI 
TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 109 

Size  of  Gang — Kind  of  Laborers — Putting  in  Switch 
Ties — Method  No.  4 — A  Typical  Switch — Laying  Turn- 
outs in  Main  Line,  General  Method — Explanation  of 
Steps  Enumerated  Above — Putting  in  a  No.  10  or  No.  11 
Turnout — Method  No.  1  for  Laying  No.  10  or  No.  11  in 
Main  Line — Method  No.  2 — Method  No.  3 — Method  No. 
4 — Temporary  Switches — Turnout  Without  Frog  or 
Points — McAndrews  Method — Spurring  Out  Cars — 
Constructing  a  Ladder  Track — Crossovers. 

CHAPTER  VII 
SLIP   SWITCHES 140 

What  a  Slip  Switch  Is — Method  of  Putting  in  a  Slip 
Switch — Setting  up  a  Slip  Switch — Tie  Plates — Putting 
a  Double  Slip  Switch  in  One  Side  at  a  Time — Setting  up 
Slip  Switch  Complete  Outside  of  Track — Spiking — 
— Several  Slip  Switches  in  the  Same  Track — Inspecting 
Similar  Layouts — Locating  Crossover  Frogs — Checking 
Material. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VIII 
SURFACING  NEW  TRACK 152 

Preparation  of  Subgrade  on  New  Track — Frequent  Sur- 
facing Necessary — Type  of  Ballast  Cars — Sags — Uri- 
loading  Ballast — Surfacing  —  Organization  —  Spotboard 
Man — Jack  Hole  Diggers — Jack  Men — Jack  Tampers — 
Men  Filling  for  Jacks — Levelboard  Men — Hammer  Man 
— Men  Filling  Ends — Organization  of  Tampers — Center 
Filling  and  Tamping — Tamping  Tools — The  Track 
Raiser — Foreman  and  Assistant  Foremen — Tamping 
Centers — Lining  Track — Height  of  Raise — General 
Notes — Testing  for  Level — Records — Cost  of  Surfacing 
Track. 

CHAPTER  IX 
YARD   CONSTRUCTION 171 

Grading — Staking  Out  Tracks — Distribution  of  Mate- 
rial— Laying  Switches — Laying  Yard  Tracks — Surfacing 
— Sewers  and  Drains — Repairs  During  Construction. 

APPENDIX 
MISCELLANEOUS ....181 

Method  of  Laying  Out  a  Curve  with  a  Rule  and  Ordi- 
nary 50-ft.  Tape  Line. 

GLOSSARY    OF    TRACK    TERMS 183 

TABLES    218 

Expansion  —  Frog  Board  Dimensions  —  Ordinates  for 
Curving  Rail— Distances  Between  Ladder  Frog  Points- 
Widening  Gage  of  Curves— Sets  of  Switch  Ties  for  Turn- 
outs— Theoretical  Switch  Leads — Practical  Switch  Leads 
—Spacing  of  Cross  Ties,  Square  Joints— Ties  per  Mile  of 
Track — Elevation  on  Curves — Ladder  Layout  Table — De- 
gree of  Turnout  Curve  in  Curved  Main  Track— Spacing 
of  Cross  Ties,  Broken  Joints — Dimensions  of  Rails — 
Cubic  Yards  of  Ballast  for  Various  Heights  of  Raise- 
Number  of  Joints,  Angle  Bars,  and  Ties  per  Mile  of  Track 
— Distances  Between  Crossover  Frog  Points. 


FOREWORD— SECOND  EDITION 

The  first  edition  contained  the  following  statements : 

"The  most  of  the  material  in  this  book  at  least  has  the 
merit  of  being  original,  the  information  having  been  ob-' 
tained  by  the  author  through  his  own  experience  as  a 
laborer  and  foreman  engaged  in  track  work.  It  is  not 
intended  as  a  complete  treatise  on  the  subject,  informa- 
tion on  engineering  features  of  design  having  been  pur- 
posely omitted  as  not  of  interest  to  the  practical  track- 
man. The  young  engineer  in  charge  of  track  work, 
however,  will  find  here  information  which  will  prove  of 
daily  benefit  to  him. 

"It  should  also  be  understood  that  this  book  does  not 
take  up  the  subject  of  maintenance,  as  it  would  have  been 
entirely  too  bulky  if  this  had  been  included.  The  author 
hopes  that  this  issue  and  future  revisions  will  add  some 
knowledge  to  a  branch  little  touched  upon  heretofore — 
the  organization  of  gangs,  and  the  actual  steps,  illustrated 
by  lucid  diagrams,  which  must  be  taken  in  constructing 
track  and  switches." 

The  first  edition  of  "Practical  Track  Work"  was  sold  in 
about  thirteen  months — sufficient  evidence  of  the  de- 
mand for  practical  information  on  methods  of  construct- 
ing track  and  switches.  As  was  to  be  expected,  however, 
the  first  edition  was  not  complete,  nor  was  the  arrange- 
ment the  best.  The  deficiencies  have  been  largely  made 
up  in  this,  the  second  edition,  through  the  detailed  criti- 
cisms of  a  large  number  of  my  good  friends,  the  track- 
men of  America. 

K.  L.  V. 

August  Fifteenth, 

Nineteen  Sixteen, 
at  Chicago. 


CHAPTER  I. 
LABOR  AND  ORGANIZATION. 

Supply  and  Demand — All  those  concerned  with  track 
construction  and  maintenance  have  felt  the  handicap  of 
scarcity  of  laborers.  The  "Old  Timers"  will  remember 
when  there  were  two  men  for  every  shovel  and  they  were 
intelligent  and  capable  laborers  too.  In  those  days  it  was 
easy  for  a  foreman  to  get  the  maximum  amount  of  work 
done,  because  each  man  knew  that  there  were  many 
others  to  take  his  place.  At  present,  the  suc- 
cessful overseer  of  laborers  is  he  who  can  thoroughly 
organize  his  gang  and  obtain  work  from  his  men  while 
retaining  their  good  will ;  and  who  can  hold  his  men  in 
spite  of  the  demand  for  them  in  other  industries. 
It  is  not  necessary  for  a  foreman  to  be  lax  in  dis- 
cipline to  be  popular  with  his  men ;  in  fact,  strict 
discipline,  maintained  impartially,  creates  respect  for  the 
foreman.  The  demand  for  labor  has  led  to  an  influx  of 
foreigners,  many  of  whom  are  intelligent  and  willing, 
and  make  excellent  laborers  and  good  citizens  provided 
they  are  started  right,  educated  or  instructed  as  far  as 
feasible,  and  subjected  to  good  discipline. 

Labor  Agencies — The  heavy  demand  for  laborers 
led  to  the  establishment  ot  labor  agencies.  By  pay- 
ing a  small  fee  the  laborer  could  obtain  work  which  it 
might  take  him  weeks  to  find  unaided.  But  many  of  the 
labor  agencies  were  not  satisfied  with  the  legitimate 
profits  which  they  were  enjoying  and  began  practicing 
questionable  methods.  Some  railway  companies  through 

11 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


favoritism  or  otherwise,  designated  that  all  their  labor- 
ers must  be  shipped  out  by  certain  agencies.  Many  times 
has  the  hobo  inquired  in  vain  for  a  job  from  the  fore- 
man of  a  gang  and  later  been  sent  to  the  same  work  after 
the  agency  had  received  its  fee. 

Exorbitant  Fees — The  object  of  the  labor  agency  at 
first  was  to  supplement  the  efforts  of  the  foreman.  Under 
present  methods  it  is  frequently  a  hindrance.  Expe- 
rienced laborers  will  look  elsewhere  for  work  rather  than 
pay  an  exorbitant  fee.  Only  green  men,  new  arrivals  in 
this  country,  or  worthless  men  will  pay  an  exorbitant  fee 
for  a  job  with  a  track  gang. 

Exclusive  Agencies — If  the  object  of  a  labor 
agency  were  only  to  obtain  laborers,  then  the  charge 
should  be  small  and  the  foreman  should  be  given  the 
privilege  of  hiring  good  men  wherever  he  finds  them. 
When  orders  are  given  that  all  laborers  must  be  obtained 
through  one  agency,  it  appears  that  the  securing  of  labor- 
ers is  secondary  to  the  securing  of  fees.  This  results  in 
enriching  the  labor  agent  and  his  organization  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  company. 

It  is  a  bad  system  which  prevents  a  foreman  from 
hiring  men  whom  he  knows  to  be  good  track  laborers.  An 
experienced  foreman  is  always  acquainted  with  laborers 
of  exceptional  ability  whose  services  he  can  obtain ;  men 
whose  qualifications  and  limitations  he  is  familiar  with. 
The  work  of  organizing  a  gang  is  greatly  facilitated  and 
the  amount  of  work  which  can  be  accomplished  is  greatly 
increased  when  there  are  a  number  of  such  laborers,  on 
whom  the  foreman  is  sure  he  can  depend. 

Misrepresentation — The  man  who  pays  an  exorbitant 
fee  for  a  job  makes  a  poor  laborer.  The  advantages 

12 


LABOR   AND    ORGANIZATION 


and  ease  of  the  work  will  have  been  misrepre- 
sented to  the  best  of  the  agent's  ability,  with  the  result 
that  when  the  laborer  gets  on  the  job  he  will  be  dissatis- 
fied and  unwilling.  It  will  be  natural  for  him  to  assume 
that  it  is  impossible  to  discharge  him  since  he  has  paid 
an  exorbitant  price  for  his  job.  The  scarcity  of  laborers 
makes  a  foreman's  work  hard  enough  without  the  added 
disadvantages  resulting  from  lack  of  control  over  the 
selection  of  men,  instructions  not  to  discharge  men,  and 
discontent  caused  by  the  misrepresentations  of  the  labor 
agents. 

Interpreters — Nearly  all  practical  men — roadmasters, 
supervisors  and  foremen — are  of  the  opinion  that,  far 
from  being  a  help,  the  interpreter  is  a  positive  hindrance. 
The  opinions  of  men  writing  for  publications,  as  well 
as  committee  reports  on  the  labor  question  submitted  to 
railway  associations,  uphold  this  statement.  Usually  an 
interpreter  arranges  to  furnish  a  certain  number  of  men 
with  the  stipulation  that  he  shall  have  charge  of  them  as 
interpreter,  and  frequently  with  the  understanding  that 
he  shall  have  the  privilege  of  boarding  them.  While  all 
these  arrangements  are  being  made,  the  interpreter  will 
give  profuse  promises  to  obtain  first-class  men  and  to 
see  that  they  do  a  fair  day's  work.  But  in  practically 
every  case  the  interpreter  changes  front  when  he  gets 
on  the  job.  In  order  to  hold  his  authority  over  the  men 
he  tells  them  "to  take  it  easy."  He  organizes  the  gang 
into  a  union  in  order  to  prevent  the  foreman  from  firing 
one  man  without  losing  the  whole  gang,  but  his  main 
object  is  to  get  the  support  of  the  men  and  thus  cinch 
his  own  job.  The  interpreter  has  often  been  found 
to  exact  graft  from  the  men,  justifying  himself  by  ex- 
plaining to  them  that  he  is  more  than  earning  his  money 

13 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


by  lightening  their  labor  and  preventing  the  foreman 
from  discharging  them. 

Since  practically  all  those  directly  concerned  with  han- 
dling labor  are  agreed  that  interpreters  are  a  hindrance, 
it  should  be  an  easy  matter  to  eliminate  them  by  the  con- 
certed action  of  the  higher  officials  of  a  number  of  roads. 

Transient  Labor — One  cause  of  the  scarcity  of 
laborers  is  the  increasing  number  who  follow  no  steady 
vocation,  but  stampede  to  locations  where  they  can  tem- 
porarily obtain  high  wages.  Thousands  of  men  are  em- 
ployed temporarily  on  railway  maintenance  or  construc- 
tion in  the  summer  months,  and  discharged  in  cold 
weather.  When  business  is  good  and  receipts  are  high, 
an  exceptional  amount  of  construction  will  be  attempted, 
and  railways  will  be  in  the  market  for  a  large  number  of 
laborers.  The  demand  being  greater,  higher  wages  must 
be  paid  and  consequently  the  cost  of  the  work  is  in- 
creased. If  the  amount  of  construction  work  done  each 
year  could  be  maintained  on  a  more  uniform  basis, 
cheaper  work  could  be  obtained  and  the  construction 
forces  would  be  more  efficient — and  the  track  laborer 
would  be  given  the  benefit  of  steadier  work. 

If  an  exceptionally  good  gang  could  be  kept  on  the 
payroll  during  the  winter,  a  large  "organizing  expense" 
would  be  saved  each  spring.  This  would  also  reward 
the  industrious  and  willing  laborers  who  under  the  pres- 
ent system,  as  ordinarily  practiced,  are  rewarded  only  by 
being  discharged  after  the  first  cold  snap.  The  consci- 
entious laborer  does  not  receive  any  increased  pay,  neither 
does  he  obtain  more  permanent  work,  on  account  of  his 
loyalty.  In  the  Northern  States  it  is  necessary  to  hire 
large  gangs  of  men  for  shoveling  snow  during  the  winter 
months;  a  permanent  extra  gang  could  be  used  to 

14 


LABOR    AND    ORGANIZATION 


advantage  in  this  work  and  also  in  clearing  ice  away 
from  structures,  etc.  The  distribution  of  the  next  year's 
material  could  also  be  made,  thus  forwarding  the  work 
of  putting  in  ties,  etc.,  in  the  summer  time. 

Year  Around  Work — It  could  not  be  expected 
that  the  floating  gang  would  be  kept  on  full  time  all  win- 
ter, but  seven  or  eight  hours  work  a  day  with  corre- 
sponding pay  would  serve  to  hold  the  gang  together. 
Most  railroads  have  hesitated  to  make  many  changes 
which  would  better  the  conditions  of  the  track  laborer, 
due  to  the  legislative  restrictions  which  limit  their  rev- 
enue, and  to  the  fear  of  more  severe  conditions.  So  they 
have  not  felt  it  possible  either  to  authorize  a  somewhat 
uniform  amount  of  work  for  every  year  or  to  retain  their 
competent  track  laborers  the  year  around,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  of  the  older  men  on  the  section  gangs. 

Recently,  however,  a  number  of  railways  have  adopted 
the  practice  of  relaying  steel  in  routes,  with  satisfactory 
result.  The  Long  Island  R.  R.,  in  1912,  adopted  a  policy 
of  permanent  employment  of  track  forces.  Gangs  are 
kept  the  same  size  the  year  around,  and  all  work  possi- 
ble is  done  in  winter. 

Wages  of  Laborers — The  average  daily  compensa- 
tion of  railway  employees  of  all  classes  for  the  year 
1910  was  in  the  United  States,  $2.23;  in  Great  Britain, 
$1.05.  Excluding  supplementary  allowances  negligibly 
affecting  the  average,  the  rate  in  Prussia-Hesse  was  81 
cents  and  in  Austria  89  cents.  The  lowest-paid  railway 
employee  in  the  United  States,  the  ordinary  trackman, 
receives  a  greater  compensation  than  many  of  the 
railway  employees  of  France,  even  those  of  higher 
grades  with  responsible  duties.  The  compensation  of 
railway  employees  is  from  two  to  three  times  as 

15 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


high  in  the  United  States  as  in  Italy.  It  is  well 
within  the  truth  to  estimate  in  a  broad  general  way  that 
while  the  cost  of  living  of  a  railway  employee  in  the 
United  States  is  less  than  50  per  cent  higher  than  that  of 
a  corresponding  employee  in  Great  Britain  or  on  the 
Continent,  his  compensation  averages  over  twice  as 
much. 

However,  a  comparison  of  wages  of  track  men  in  this 
and  foreign  countries  does  not  furnish  a  real  basis  for 
estimating  the  proper  wages  for  track  laborers.  The 
comparison  must  be  made  with  the  wages  of  other  classes 
of  laborers,  and  the  consequent  demand  for  men  in  this 
country.  Compared  with  other  classes  in  the  United 
States  the  wages  of  the  track  laborer  are  woefully  small, 
and  a  substantial  increase  is  necessary  if  the  railways  are 
to  obtain  and  retain  a  fair  class  of  trackmen. 

Method  of  Obtaining  Laborers — It  is  the  opinion  of 
many  railway  men  who  have  to  do  with  both  track  con- 
struction and  maintenance,  that  present  methods  of  ob- 
taining and  retaining  laborers  for  construction  work  are 
either  wrong  in  principle,  or  inadequate.  If  the  labor 
problem  is  satisfactorily  solved,  the  problem  of  future 
section  foremen  would  also  be  solved,  for  there  would 
then  be  plenty  of  intelligent,  steady  laborers  to  choose 
foremen  from. 

Choice  of  Laborers — There  would  probably  be 
no  labor  shortage  if  the  laborers  in  this  country  were 
employed  on  the  work  for  which  they  are  best  fitted,  and 
each  did  a  fair  day's  work.  Foremen  who  have  han- 
dled gangs  of  different  nationalities  realize  that  there  is 
frequently  one  kind  of  work  for  which  a  certain  nation- 
ality is  well  adapted,  and  many  other  kinds  of  work  for 
which  that  nationality  is  ill  adapted.  Even  in  men  of  the 

16 


LABOR    AND    ORGANIZATION 

same  nationality,  there  is  a  great  difference  in  the  adapt- 
ability of  each  to  different  kinds  of  track  work,  and  the 
way  to  get  the  proper  men  for  each  class  is  to  have  a 
labor  bureau  whose  business  it  is  to  keep  in  close  touch 
with  the  conditions  both  in  the  field  and  in  the  labor 
market.  A  commercial  agency  will  send  out  a  sewer 
digger  on  a  track  gang  in  preference  to  a  good  track  man, 
if  the  former  will  pay  a  larger  fee.  A  labor  agency  will 
send  out  undersized  men,  weak  men  physically,  mentally 
and  morally,  if  they  will  pay  the  fee. 

Suggested  Method — A  system  which  would  tend  to 
give  satisfaction  if  properly  followed,  might  consist  of : 

(1)  A  company  labor  bureau ; 

(2)  Company  boarding  camps  and  commissary. 

(3)  Graded  rates  of  pay  for  section  laborers,  graded 
upward  from  present  rates. 

(4)  Provisions  for  educating  employees; 

(5)  Promotion  (always)  according  to  ability; 

(6)  Combination    of    construction    and    maintenance 
forces,  to  be  permanently  employed,  as  far  as  possible. 

With  a  complete  an-d  efficient  organization  as  outlined, 
laborers  can  be  obtained  who  will  remain  permanently 
with  the  company,  and  such  men  certainly  would  be 
worth  the  trouble  involved  in  working  out  such  a  system. 
Conditions  are  so  bad  that  further  retrogression  must  be 
arrested,  and  radical  methods  are  required. 

Company  Labor  Bureaus — All  this  can  be  changed 
and  except  in  rare  cases  only  will  be  changed,  by 
hiring  men  through  a  company  labor  bureau;  and  this 
department  should  be  put  in  charge  of  an  expert  track- 
man who  has  the  wide  knowledge  which  can  be  gained 
only  from  experience  and  observation — one  who  will  keep 
in  the  closest  possible  touch  with  the  requirements  and 

17 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


developments  on  his  own  and  other  railways  from  day 
to  day.  The  company  labor  bureau,  if  efficient,  could 
eliminate  the  interpreter  (and  that  is  greatly  to  be  de- 
sired), could  prevent  extortion  from  laborers,  and  many 
other  abuses.  This  would  result  in  a  great  increase  in 
individual  efficiency. 

Is  there  not  a  great  inconsistency  in  hiring  expert  fore- 
men, and  then  allowing  any  derelict  to  hire  the  men  for 
these  expert  foremen  to  handle?  The  matter  of  first  im- 
portance in  manufacturing  is  the  procuring  of  raw  mate- 
rial which  will  best  serve  the  purpose.  At  present  few 
railways  hire  their  laborers  that  way. 

The  maintenance  of  way  department  of  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  established  a  free  labor  bureau  in  August,  1912, 
with  main  office  at  Baltimore.  Shortly  afterwards  small 
branch  offices  were  established  at  other  points.  The 
original  intention  was  to  secure  men  for  the  mainten- 
ance of  way  department  only.  A  short  time  later,  how- 
ever, the  service  of  the  bureau  was  extended  to  secure 
men  for  other  branches  of  the  service,  but  the  bureau 
is  still  used  principally  to  obtain  trackmen. 

In  August,  1913,  the  labor  bureau  was  put  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  bureau  of  employment  and  is  no  longer 
under  the  supervision  of  the  maintenance  of  way  depart- 
ment. Its  affairs  are  administered  by  a  chief  labor  agent 
at  Baltimore.  He  has  an  office  assistant,  who  also  does 
scout  work,  and  three  assistants  who  travel  from  point 
to  point  where  laborers  are  available.  Attached  to  the 
bureau  are  men  who  act  from  time  to  time  as  pilots  for 
large  gangs.  These  men  have  had  wide  experience  in 
this  work  and  they  keep  in  touxch  with  available  gangs. 

Newspaper  advertisements  explain  the  requirements 
and  acquaint  the  public  with  the  location  of  the  labor 

18 


LABOR    AND    ORGANIZATION 


bureau  offices,  but  in  addition  there  is  a  man  called  a 
scout  who  distributes  cards  throughout  the  city,  adver- 
tising the  jobs  for  which  men  are  sought.  For  all  jobs 
except  those  on  track,  the  applicants  must  fill  out  the 
standard  application  blanks,  which  are  then  investigated 
by  the  employment  bureau,  the  men  being  taken  on  tem- 
porarily pending  the  outcome  of  the  investigation.  All 
men  accepting  employment  must  pass  a  physical  exami- 
nation. 

Each  man,  when  hired,  is  given  a  card  which  identifies 
him,  the  card  having  a  number,  stating  the  class  of  work 
the  man  is  engaged  for,  the  rate  of  pay,  destination  and 
approximate  time  of  shipment.  The  pass  issued  for  the 
man  has  a  duplicate  of  the  number  on  his  card  so  that 
the  conductor  can  identify  the  laborer.  Pilots  are  sent 
with  large  gangs  which  are  to  be  shipped  a  long  distance, 
and  also  with  gangs  of  foreigners,  if  they  are  unable  to 
speak  English.  The  conductor  takes  care  of  the  men  on 
short  shipments. 

Since  the  demand  for  laborers  is  great,  there  has  been 
but  little  choice  in  the  acceptance  of  men.  The  division 
people  call  on  the  labor  bureau  frequently  and  favor  the 
plan  very  much,  but  the  most  of  the  men  sent  out  are 
for  extra  gangs  for  temporary  work  and  they  are  laid 
off  when  the  job  is  completed.  The  laborers  favor  the 
plan  because  no  fee  is  charged.  The  labor  bureau  has  not 
undertaken  to  better  the  conditions  of  supervision  or  liv- 
ing for  the  laborers,  this  being  handled  by  the  division 
people.  Judging  by  the  favor  in  which  the  labor  bureau 
is  held  by  the  division  officials  and  the  laborers  them- 
selves, it  is  a  distinct  success. 

Company  Boarding  Camps — A  boarding  camp  or  com- 
missary is  almost  necessary  if  foreigners  are  to 

19 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


obtain  anything  like  value  for  their  money.  The  conces- 
sions of  cars,  bunks,  etc.,  made  by  railway  companies  to 
their  laborers  (ostensibly)  are  really  being  made  to  the 
parasites  who  live  off  the  laborers.  Some  nationalities, 
naturally  economical,  will  cut  their  necessities  down  to  a 
starvation  basis  when  their  purchases  of  supplies  carry  a 
heavy  duty  to  some  go-between,  either  the  interpreter 
or  the  labor  agent  who  reserves  the  commissary  privi- 
lege. 

The  furnishing  of  good  board  would  involve  little,  if 
any,  increase  in  cost  to  the  railway  company.  Practically 
every  gang  of  foreigners  has  its  cook  or  cooks,  who  are 
enrolled  and  paid  by  the  railway  as  laborers,  but  never 
leave  the  camp.  Two  cooks  with  a  gang  of  only  thirty 
or  forty  men  are  not  uncommon.  If  the  company  fur- 
nished board  for  the  laborers,  the  wages  paid  together 
with  money  received  for  board  of  these  men,  would  easily 
run  the  camp. 

The  benefit  to  the  white  laborers,  the  hobos,  would  be 
great  if  the  company  furnished  good  board  and  lodging. 
The  hobo,  even  if  improperly  fed,  can  accomplish  much 
work  with  the  minimum  of  supervision,  because  of  his 
track  knowledge,  intelligence  and  skill.  His  efficiency 
would  undoubtedly  increase  if  he  were  treated  in  a  way 
which  would  keep  him  more  satisfied.  Good  camps  and 
food  are  as  important,  as  wages. 

Graded  Rates  of  Wages — A  man  is  entitled  to  in- 
creased pay  with  increased  efficiency,  but  under  present 
conditions  the  green  track  laborer  generally  receives  as 
much  as  a  laborer  who  has  been  in  track  work  for  years. 
In  fact,  an  extra  gang  laborer  usually  receives  more  than 
a  section  laborer,  although  the  former  may  have  never 
worked  on  a  railway  before.  Under  these  conditions 

20 


LABOR   AND    ORGANIZATION 


there  is  no  reward  if  a  man  increases  his  ability  and 
efficiency.  Track  laborers'  wages  should  be  increased  in 
proportion  to  increased  efficiency  and  length  of  service. 
This  would  produce  an  incentive  for  the  laborer  to  be- 
come more  proficient.  Such  a  system  would  do  away 
with  the  need  for  special  apprentices,  the  highest  paid 
man  or  men  being  the  next  eligible  for  promotion. 

The  unskilled  man  working  under  the  graded  system 
of  wages,  would  receive  pay  only  commensurate  with  the 
amount  of  work  he  accomplishes,  and  the  experienced 
man  would  receive  the  larger  wages  to  which  he  is  enti- 
tled. There  would  then  be  some  reason  for  laborers  to 
remain  in  the  service ;  after  having  attained  the  high 
wage  class  through  years  of  service,  they  would  be  loth 
to  lose  their  rights  by  quitting  for  some  temporary  in- 
crease in  another  industry. 

Having  established  graded  rates  of  pay,  no  deviation 
should  be  allowed.  The  rate  should  be  adjusted  so 
that  the  most  efficient  men  would  receive  a  specified 
wage,  as  a  minimum,  after  having  been  in  the  service  a 
certain  length  of  time.  And  if  a  man  increases  his  value 
more  than  the  average  his  pay  should  be  increased  above 
the  minimum.  Promotions  from  laborer  to  foreman 
should  be  made  only  from  the  men  in  the  highest  paid 
cla.ss,  and  from  these  according  to  comparative  ability. 
A  deviation  from  this  rule  would  soon  spoil  the  system, 
for  fair  treatment  must  be  insisted  upon  in  any  organ- 
ization if  the  highest  standards  are  to  be  attained.  It  is 
poor  policy  to  keep  a  man  on  one  job  because  he  is  useful 
to  his  superior,  when  a  better  position  is  given  to  another 
of  less  or  doubtful  ability.  Such  a  policy  is  sure  to  be- 
come apparent  and  results  in  loss  of  loyalty. 

Instruction — The  kind  of  laborer  who  is  most  use- 

21 


PRACTICAL   TRACK   WORK 


ful  is  the  ambitious  one  who  has  a  desire  to  increase 
his  capacity  and  ability,  and  thus  merit  increased  wages. 
Such  men  should  be  given  every  opportunity  to  better 
and  fit  themselves  for  higher  positions.  For  this  reason 
some  means  should  be  provided  for  educating  laborers 
and  section  foreman.  This  would  form  a  bond  between 
the  laborer  and  the  railway,  would  help  to  retain  laborers 
in  its  employ;  and  finally  would  result  in  greatly  in- 
creasing the  accuracy  and  legibility  of  the  many  records 
and  reports  which  a  track  foreman  must  make  out. 

(4)  Foreman's  Treatment  of  Men — The  day  of  the 
profane  and  wordy  driver  of  men  is  over.  It  is  impossi- 
ble for  a  foreman  of  this  type  to  keep  a  gang  of  men 
in  these  days  of  labor  scarcity.  A  foreman  must  be  en- 
ergetic, not  indolent,  and  must  constantly  devise  methods 
to  hasten  the  work  and  eliminate  lost  motion.  Neither  is 
there  a  place  for  the  foreman  who  is  over  indulgent  or 
too  familiar  with  his  men.  Nowhere  is  the  old  saying, 
"Familiarity  breeds  contempt"  more  aptly  illustrated  than 
in  the  relations  between  foreman  and  laborer.  When  a 
gang  of  laborers  has  a  feeling  of  comradeship  with  the 
foreman,  discipline  ceases. 

The  position  requires  a  man  with  unlimited  patience, 
but  one  who  exacts  strict  obedience  while  treating  his 
men  as  human  beings.  Discipline  is  not  loud  talk;  in 
fact  some  of  the  quietest  men  exact  and  obtain  the  strict- 
est obedience.  A  gang  which  is  well  organized  and  well 
disciplined  will  remain  on  a  job  long  after  the  poorly 
disciplined  and  poorly  organized  gang  has  left.  It  is  hit- 
man nature  to  dislike  to  work  for  an  incompetent  or  a 
weakling.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  surprising  what  can 
sometimes  be  accomplished  with  a  gang  working  in  a 
desultory  manner  when  the  men  begin  to  see  that  their 

22 


_  LABOR   AND    ORGANIZATION 

every  move  is  resulting  in  the  greatest  progress  for  the 
energy  expended.  Gradually  interest  is  awakened,  and 
once  the  interest  of  even  the  poorest  class  of  labor  is 
aroused,  the  results  can  be  doubled  or  tripled.  The  first 
feeling  toward  a  foreman  who  "means  business"  all  the 
time,  is  quite  likely  to  be  one  of  dislike;  but  if  a  little 
tact  is  sprinkled  in  with  discipline,  this  feeling  can  soon 
be  changed  to  respect  and  the  foreman  who  has  the  re- 
spect of  his  men  will  retain  them  in  his  employ,  other 
conditions  being  favorable.  Organization  and  discipline 
go  hand  in  hand.  Proper  organization  guarantees  the 
greatest  results  for  the  amount  of  energy  expended,  and 
discipline  is  necessary  to  obtain  proper  organization. 

Discipline  should  be  tempered  with  good  judgment. 
As  an  instance,  the  general  foreman  on  a  new  line,  many 
miles  from  "civilization"  discharged  an  interpreter.  The 
result  of  this  discipline  wras  that  the  entire  gang  quit 
work  until  the  interpreter  was  reinstated,  and  since  a 
new  gang  could  not  be  obtained  immediately,  and  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  to  keep  a  gang  on  the  job,  the  gen- 
eral foreman  was  forced  to  reinstate  him.  Of  course 
this  act  destroyed  the  foreman's  discipline  over  the  gang. 
Many  times  such  a  crisis  can  be  passed  over  by  using  a 
little  tact  and  not  getting  into  a  situation  where  it  is  nec- 
essary to  make  a  display  of  authority.  Then  later,  with 
the  laborers  in  a  different  mood,  the  necessary  order  may 
be  safely  insisted  upon.  This  does  not  mean  that  the 
wishes  of  the  laborers  should  not  be  crossed,  but  it  does 
mean  that  it  is  folly  to  arouse  the  antagonism  of  a  gang 
for  a  trivial  cause,  or  just  to  show  authority;  and  this  is 
especially  true  when  the  laborers  are  in  a  bad  humor,  as 
they  are  likely  to  be  when  surfacing  in  muddy  ballast, 
when  working  in  a  rain  or  under  other  unfavorable  con- 
ditions. 

23 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


If  a  foreman  makes  a  study  of  and  adapts  his  methods 
to  the  particular  characteristics  of  each  man,  he  will  gain 
the  good  will  of  the  laborers  and  be  able  to  retain  them 
much  longer  than  if  otherwise  treated.  Some  men  must 
be  driven,  others  will  work  on  suggestion  alone,  others 
must  be  led,  and  still  others  must  be  influenced  by  instruc- 
tion and  example.  Housing  conditions,  working  condi- 
tions, rate  of  pay,  etc.,  all  have  their  effect  on  holding" 
or  driving  away  laborers,  but  the  characteristics  of  the 
foreman,  as  evidenced  in  discipline,  organization  and  in- 
telligence, are  of  very  vital  importance  in  the  solution  of 
the  problem. 

Combination  of  Forces — A  combination  of  maintenance 
and  construction  forces  exists  on  some  railroads,  but  on 
many  these  organizations  are  entirely  separate.  The 
combination  of  the  two  produces  first,  harmony  instead  of 
rivalry,  and  second,  it  provides  a  way  of  obtaining  steady 
foremen  from  maintenance  work  for  extra  gangs — men 
who  can  be  relied  upon.  Maintenance  men  could  thus  be 
given  an  opportunity  to  obtain  a  much  broader  knowl- 
edge, which  would  help  maintenance.  Such  men,  when 
promoted,  are  qualified  to  take  charge  of  both 
construction  and  maintenance.  When  an  outsider  is  ap- 
pointed foreman  of  an  extra  gang,  which  usually 
pays  higher  wages,  an  injustice  is  done  not  only  to 
the  employee,  but  also  to  the  railway.  The  permanent 
employee  is  entitled  to  the  reward  of  his  labors  and  the 
railway  benefits  through  the  loyalty  of  such  an  old  em- 
ployee wherever  placed.  The  investing  power  of  pro- 
motion in  the  foreman  will  result  in  some  abuses  unless 
he  is  the  right  sort.  The  only  feasible  way  to 
preserve  discipline  in  a  gang  of  men,  however,  is  to  make 
the  foreman  practically  supreme.  When  a  superior  gives 

24 


LABOR    AND    ORGANIZATION 


orders  to  laborers,  promotes  or  discharges  them,  he 
weakens  the  foreman's  control  over  his  men.  The  solu- 
tion is  to  employ  honest  foremen  and  not  interfere  with 
the  laborers.  A  great  deal  can  be  accomplished  by  the 
attitude  of  superior  officers.  A  policy  of  fair  dealing  on 
their  part  produces  a  similar  spirit  in  the  whole  depart- 
ment. 

A  system  as  outlined  above  would,  we  believe,  result 
in  building  up  a  strong  organization  in  a  comparatively 
short  time.  Abuses  might  arise,  but  few  are  likely  if  the 
policy  is  carried  out  fairly  and  confidently.  It  is  of 
course  impossible  to  find  any  system  in  which  there  will 
not  be  a  few  persons  who  will  take  advantage  of  any  lib- 
erties accorded  them.  It  is  also  realized  that  no  simple 
system  can  be  evolved  which  will  cover  all  conditions, 
and  in  the  system  outlined  above,  changes,  additions  or 
eliminations  might  be  necessary  in  individual  cases. 

Organization  of  Track  Gangs — The  value  of  thorough 
organization  is  not  fully  appreciated  by  all  track  men, 
but  it  is  a  matter  which  repays  manyfold  the  most 
careful  consideration  and  close  attention ;  for  it  is  the 
proper  disposal  of  men  which  more  than  any  other  one 
thing  affects  the  amount  and  quality  of  the  work  done. 
It  has  been  said  with  truth  that  a  gang  of  poor  work- 
ers well  organized  will  accomplish  more  than  a  gang 
of  good  workers  poorly  organized.  Time  and  confusion 
are  saved  by  assigning  each  man  a  task  and  requiring 
him  to  remain  where  he  is  placed  until  otherwise  ordered. 

Proper  disposal  of  men  implies  in  general  that  each  one 
be  placed  on  the  kind  of  work  for  which  he  is  best  fitted, 
and  in  which  he  has  had  experience.  However,  this  does 
not  mean  that  more  men  than  necessary  should  be  used 
for  bolting  or  too  few  for  spiking.  If  there  are  too  many 

25 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


bolters  and  too  few  spikers  a  foreman  will  show  his  abil- 
ity by  picking  out  of  the  surplus  bolters  the  men  who  can 
be  quickly  trained  to  become  expert  spikers.  Men  of 
great  strength  are  not  necessarily  required,  for  an  experi- 
enced man  of  less  than  ordinary  strength  who  is  intelli- 
gent and  active,  can  accomplish  more  than  a  much 
stronger  man  who  is  awkward.  Fully  as  important  as 
physical  strength  is  the  workman's  disposition,  age,  will- 
ingness, natural  skill,  intelligence,  and  experience. 

The  Individual  Laborer — After  the  gang  is  correctly 
organized,  the  total  amount  of  work  accomplished 
depends  upon  the  amount  of  work  accomplished  by  the 
individual  man,  or  by  the  different  groups  of  men.  The 
foreman  should  attempt  to  get  a  good  day's  work  out  of 
each  laborer ;  he  should  carefully  study  the  general  char- 
acteristics and  traits  of  the  particular  class  of  men  he  is 
working,  and  he  should  also  become  familiar  with  the 
individual  skill  and  traits  of  each  man,  and  then  use  him 
to  the  best  advantage.  Some  men  will  do  the  most  work 
if  treated  with  familiarity,  while  others  will  not  respect 
a  foreman  who  takes  this  attitude. 

The  best  men  should  be  placed  in  the  lead  in  each  kind 
of  work,  and  wherever  possible  the  men  should  be  placed 
so  that  each  will  have  to  do  an  equal  share  with  the  head 
man,  or  else  fall  behind  the  rest.  This  should  not  be  con- 
strued as  advocating  the  practice  of  hiring  men  at  higher 
wages  to  lead  off  the  rest  of  the  gang.  It  is  characteristic 
of  the  laborer  experienced  in  track  work,  especially  the 
hobo,  that  he  does  not  like  to  admit  the  superiority  of 
another.  When  such  a  man  is  placed  so  that  the  amount 
of  work  he  accomplishes  is  directly  measured  by  the 
amount  other  men  accomplish,  he  will  do  his  share. 

Handling  Laborers — The  track  foreman  must  not  ex- 

26 


LABOR   AND    ORGANIZATION 


pect  100  per  cent  efficiency  from  an  inexperienced  laborer 
and  he  must  devote  more  attention  to  him  than  to  an 
experienced  man.  Track  foremen  may  be  divided  into 
three  classes:  (1)  the  hustler;  (2)  the  brainy  foreman 
who  maintains  a  steady  but  medium  gait,  and  (3)  the 
man  who  combines  both  brains  and  hustling  ability.  Fre- 
quently the  hustler  does  a  lot  of  extra  work  because  he 
does  not  plan  out  in  advance  the  proper  order  in  which  to 
do  it.  The  foreman  who  uses  his  head  may  work  less 
and  accomplish  more  than  the  foreman  who  always  hus- 
tles without  planning  his  work.  If  a  foreman  uses  his 
head  and  plans  his  work,  and  then  pushes  it  hard,  he  will 
accomplish  the  most.  Because  a  man  is  a  hustler,  then, 
is  not  an  infallible  sign  that  he  is  a  first-class  foreman. 

A  foreman  should  not  be  touchy  and  thin-skinned,  for 
constructive  criticism  is  necessary  in  developing  a  good 
trackman.  He  should  always  be  ready  and  willing  to  do 
more  than  he  is  actually  required  to  do,  for  then  will 
he  be  worth  more  money  to  the  company.  He  should 
be  an  enthusiast  about  his  work,  as  this  will  not  only 
increase  his  ability,  but  make  his  position  more  enjoy- 
able and  less  like  drudgery. 

The  greatest  amount  of  work  can  be  obtained  from  most 
gangs  by  treating  them  considerately,  and  this  policy 
makes  the  work  more  pleasant  for  both  laborer  and  fore- 
man. The  policy  of  "driving"  men  is  being  discontinued, 
for  laborers  will  not  stay  on  a  job  where  subjected  to  such 
treatment.  A  further  reason  for  treating  laborers  as 
human  beings  is  that  when  it  is  necessary  to  do  rush 
work,  the  men  will  be  inclined  to  do  their  best  and  will 
then  pay  more  attention  to  sharp  commands  and  a  limited 
amount  of  necessary  driving.  When  the  gang  is  sep- 
arated and  it  is  impossible  to  keep  all  men  under  close 

27 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


supervision,  those  who  have  been  treated  right  will  work 
better  than  those  whom  the  foreman  has  been  constantly 
trying  to  drive.  If  men  have  only  fear  of  their  foreman, 
which  is  the  case  when  he  is  a  driver,  they  will  use  every 
possible  chance  to  "soldier." 

The  foreman's  discipline,  however,  should  be  strictly 
maintained  under  all  circumstances.  He  should  person- 
ally see  to  it  that  each  of  his  orders  is  obeyed.  In  case 
an  assistant  foreman  is  employed  and  the  laborers  are 
all  working  together,  orders  should  in  general  be  given 
to  the  laborers  by  the  assistant  foreman.  This  will  pre- 
vent conflicting  orders  being  given  to  any  man.  The 
assistant  should  be  backed  up  in  every  case  by  the  fore- 
man and  his  orders  never  reversed  unless  it  is  absolutely 
necessary.  The  laborers'  respect  for  both  foreman  and 
assistant  are  increased  in  this  manner. 

Laborers  of  any  kind  note  quickly  whether  the  man 
directly  in  charge  of  them  knows  his  business  or  not,  and 
whether  he  stands  in  the  good  graces  of  his  superior.  If 
he  does  not,  they  are  sure  to  lose  their  respect  for  him, 
with  the  result  that  the  discipline  of  the  organization  is 
destroyed.  For  this  reason  the  foreman  should  not,  in 
general,  take  his  assistant  to  task  in  the  presence  of  the 
laborers,  but  should  always  have  it  appear  that  the  assist- 
ant is  proceeding  in  accordance  with  his  wishes. 

Maximum  Supervision — In  order  to  allow  maximum 
supervision,  the  men  should  be  kept  as  close  together 
as  possible  without  having  them  interfere  with  each 
other.  Laborers  may  become  scattered  because  of  poor 
gang  organization  or  irregularities  occurring  in  the  work, 
and  the  foreman  will  show  his  ingenuity  by  arrang- 
ing the  work  and  the  laborers  so  that  the  gang  is  kept 
compact.  If  it  is  impossible  to  keep  the  gang  from  be- 

28 


LABOR    AND    ORGANIZATION 


coming  scattered,  as  may  happen  on  some  classes  of 
work,  the  foreman  should  be  prepared  to  designate  men 
of  special  ability  to  oversee  each  portion  of  the  gang. 

Laborers  should  be  kept  in  good  humor,  as  they  will 
then  accomplish  more  and  do  better  work.  It  is  also 
advisable  to  use  methods  which  make  the  least  demand 
on  the  strength  of  the  men,  provided  such  methods  will 
not  decrease  the  amount  or  lower  the  quality  of  the  work. 
By  following  such  methods  it  is  possible  to  arouse  the 
laborers'  interest  in  the  work,  and  this  Avill  tend  to 
build  up  an  organization  which  will  accomplish  good  re- 
sults even  when  it  is  impossible  to  give  close  supervision. 

Trackmen  Skilled  Laborers — The  policy  of  the  rail- 
ways of  paying  very  small  wages  and  treating  good 
and  poor  men  alike,  has  led  to  a  general  feeling  that 
track  men  are  unskilled  laborers.  As  a  matter  of  fact  ex- 
pert track  men  are  skilled  laborers,  and  for  this  reason 
they  should  be  kept  in  the  employ  of  the  company  per- 
manently and  not  laid  off  on  account  of  slack  work. 

New  Methods — It  should  be  the  aim  of  the  foreman 
to  constantly  look  for  and  evolve  new  ways  of  doing 
work  or  to  standardize  ways  and  methods  which  have 
proved  to  be  best.  When  the  work  is  reduced  to  a  rou- 
tine, each  laborer  knows  what  is  expected  of  him,  much 
time  is  saved  and  much  confusion  prevented. 


CHAPTER  II. 
TRACK    TOOLS. 

Good  Tools — The  importance  of  having  good  tools, 
taking  good  care  of  them,  and  keeping  them  in  repair 
is  evident  in  almost  any  kind  of  construction,  and  track 
work  is  no  exception  to  the  rule.  Poor  tools  are  a 
poor  investment,  for  the  amount  of  work  accomplished 
with  them  is  undoubtedly  less  than  with  good  tools, 
and  the  quality  of  work  done  is  inferior.  It  is  also  evi- 
dent that  poor  tools  will  not  last  as  long  as  those  of  a  bet- 
ter quality,  and  especially  when  a  tool  must  be  used  con- 
stantly, first  cost  should  be  a  consideration  secondary  to 
quality. 

A  poorly  designed  claw  bar,  one  with  the  claws  dulled 
or  chipped  off,  or  one  which  has  been  carelessly  repaired 
or  tempered,  generally  requires  a  hammer-man,  an  ad- 
ditional laborer.  In  addition  to  the  extra  labor  required, 
there  is  excessive  battering  of  and  early  destruction  of 
the  claw  bar.  Since  the  hammer  men  are  usually  inex- 
perienced and  unskilled,  they  are  likely  to  break  spike 
maul  handles  frequently.  Thus  poor  tools  require  more 
labor  and  are  subject  to  greater  damage. 

The  above  instance  shows  how  the  number  of  laborers 
can  be  reduced  by  having  good  tools.  A  good  tool  makes 
possible  an  increase  in  the  amount  of  labor  accomplished 
per  man,  and  if  this  increase  is  only  five  per  cent  over 
that  of  a  poor  tool,  and  that  is  certainly  a  small  estimate, 
the  increased  cost  of  a  good  tool  will  soon  be  balanced. 
This  is  especially  true  of  tools  which  are  used  every 
working  day  of  the  year. 

30 


TRACK   TOOLS 


The  track  foreman  should  in  every  case  specify  the 
brand  of  tools  which  he  wishes.  Giving  the  foreman 
this  responsibility  will  help  to  get  better  results  out  of 
the  tools  which  are  furnished.  Furthermore  it  will  re- 
sult in  improvements  being  suggested  which  will  develop 
track  tools  better  adapted  to  the  work.  Another  reason 
why  track  foremen  should  specify  the  brand  of  tools  is 
that  it  is  impossible  for  a  salesman  to  "put  it  over"  on  a 
large  number  of  these  men — he  cannot  see  a  very  large 
proportion  of  the  track  foremen.  Then  if  meetings  of 
foremen  are  held  and  tools  discussed,  the  majority  of 
the  men  will  give  opinions  based  on  the  service  given 
by  various  tools  instead  of  opinions  formed  by  the  claims 
of  the  salesmen. 

The  foreman  must  look  after  and  take  care  of  his  track 
tools  so  that  they  will  be  kept  in  serviceable  condition. 
Tools  which  are  in  good  order  increase  the  output  of  the 
gang  materially  and  are  particularly  necessary  in  emer- 
gencies when  work  must  be  done  in  a  hurry.  If  looking 
after  the  track  tools  is  delegated  to  some  laborer,  the 
foreman  should  supervise  the  matter  very  carefully  to  see 
that  the  man  is  doing  his  work  right. 

Given  good  tools,  it  is  of  great  importance  to  use  them 
carefully,  and  to  repair  them  or  have  them  repaired  when 
necessary.  In  a  large  gang  it  is  advisable  to  have  one 
man  who  is  held  responsible  for  the  condition  of  tools, 
and  for  keeping  track  of  them.  Such  a  man,  if  he  is  intel- 
ligent and  experienced,  can  keep  the  tools  in  such  shape 
that  the  increased  amount  of  work  accomplished  will 
more  than  pay  his  salary.  And  a  clear  profit  will  result 
from  the  avoidance  of  the  delays  which  are  so  frequently 
caused  by  lack  of  tools.  The  foreman  who  does  not  take 
care  of  his  tools  should  be  dismissed. 

31 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


Laborers  should  not  be  permitted  to  hide  tools  to  keep 
for  their  own  special  use.  Such  methods  are  likely  to 
result  in  a  man  being  unable  to  find  a  monkey  wrench 
or  some  other  necessary  tool  when  called  out  to  repair 
a  switch  at  night. 

A  foreman  should  not  keep  a  large  number  of  extra 
tools  at  his  tool  house ;  nor  should  he  keep  broken  or 
unserviceable  tools — they  should  be  sent  to  headquarters 
so  that  they  can  be  repaired  or  sent  to  sections  where 
they  are  needed. 

Ordering  Tools — One  of  the  most  necessary  things  in 
handling  materials  and  tools  is  to  have  a  clearly  defined 
system  of  ordering,  furnishing,  delivering  and  receiving 
them.  A  good  way  is  to  have  the  foreman  check  up  his 
tools  and  make  requisitions,  which  are  filled  by  the  supply 
car  which  goes  over  the  road  once  a  month.  It  is  a  good 
idea  for  the  supply  car  to  collect  old  tools  in  exchange 
for  new  ones  as  this  makes  the  foreman  more  careful. 
The  supply  car  should  be  sent  out  about  the  same  time 
each  month  and  the  foreman  should  be  sure  to  have  tools 
which  are  to  be  repaired,  ready  to  be  loaded  when  the  car 
arrives. 

Full  Use  of  Materials — The  track  foreman  can  make  a 
very  considerable  saving  in  the  materials  which  he  uses 
in  a  year's  time.  In  cutting  rails  he  should  always  use 
the  shortest  rail  from  which  he  can  obtain  the  desired 
length.  When  distributing  spikes,  bolts  and  nut  locks 
he  should  not  allow  them  to  be  placed  where  they  will 
be  buried  or  hidden  from  view  and  left.  Ties  should 
be  carefully  inspected  and  those  which  will  be  serviceable 
for  a  year  or  more  should  not  be  removed.  Tools  should 
not  be  discarded  which  can  be  sharpened  or  repaired  and 
made  as  good  as  new.  Keeping  hand  cars  or  motor  cars 

32 


TRACK    TOOLS 


in  good  order  with  all  nuts  tightened  up  will  prevent  the 
loss  of  parts  and  save  the  cost  of  replacing  them.  The 
track  foreman  should  keep  his  track  chisels,  axes,  adzes, 
scythes  and  drill  bits  sharp,  as  this  will  make  it  possible 
for  the  men  to  do  more  and  better  work. 

Keeping  Tools  in  Repair — Adzes  should  be  used  care- 
fully or  they  will  become  almost  useless  in  a  short 
time.  Even  an  experienced  man  will  frequently  hit  a 
spike  stub,  and  inexperienced  men  will  often  hit  the 
spikes  and  the  rail.  The  best  adzes  should  be  saved  for 
use  in  emergencies.  When  dull,  adzes  should  be  ground 
on  an  ordinary  grindstone,  or  sent  to  the  shops  for  re- 
sharpening. 

Level  and  spotboards  should  be  used  carefully  so  that 
the  bubble  tube  will  not  be  displaced  or  broken.  The  ac- 
curacy of  these  tools,  and  the  track  gages,  is  largely  re- 
sponsible for  the  degree  of  excellence  of  the  finished 
track. 

A  track  chisel  should  receive  only  light  and  square 
blows  when  cutting  a  rail.  This  precaution  is  especially 
necessary  with  a  new  chisel  or  one  recently  sharpened 
and  reground,  as  it  is  likely  to  chip  and  become  spoiled 
with  the  first  blow.  When  cracking  a  rail,  a  dull  chisel 
should  be  used  which  will  not  be  spoiled  by  heavy  blows. 
Track  chisels  should  be  inspected  often  and  those  which 
are  unfit  for  use  should  be  sent  to  the  shop  to  be  retem- 
pered  and  sharpened. 

If  a  track  gage  is  not  handled  correctly,  it  is  likely  to 
be  sprung  so  that  it  will  not  indicate  correct  gage.  The 
gage  should  never  be  driven  to  a  bearing  with  a  hammer, 
nor  should  it  be  set  against  a  rail  which  has  been  sprung 
out  considerably  with  a  bar,  unless  the  rail  is  held  away 
by  the  bar  until  the  spike  has  been  driven.  Before  using 

33 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


a  gage,  it  should  be  measured  with  a  steel  tape  line  to  de- 
termine whether  it  is  standard, — 4  ft.  Sy2  in. — out  to 
out  of  the  lugs. 

A  rail  drill  should  be  handled  only  by  experienced  la- 
borers. The  machine  should  be  carefully  set  for  each 
hole,  and  the  bits  should  be  sharp  or  the  machine  will  be 
subjected  to  an  extra  strain.  Dull  drills  retard  the  work 
exceedingly  and  make  it  harder  for  the  laborers. 

The  use  of  rail  forks  makes  the  handling  of  rails  on 
cars  or  in  piles  easier,  increases  the  number  of  rails  han- 
dled and  generally  decreases  the  number  of  laborers  re- 
quired. 

The  rail  tongs  provided  should  be  all  of  one  pattern. 
The  best  kind  are  those  which  carry  the  rail  close  to  the 
ground,  just  high  enough  to  clear  other  rails  or  ties. 
Tongs  which  are  not  of  the  same  size,  or  on  which  the 
clamps  are  not  a  uniform  distance  below  the  handles,  will 
cause  the  load  to  fall  very  heavily  on  some  men  and 
lightly  on  others. 

A  rail  bender  should  have  the  threads  well  oiled  when 
used  for  putting  a  "stock"  in  rails.  The  use  of  oil  makes 
the  kinking  of  a  rail  easier,  but  after  being  oiled  the 
bender  must  be  taken  care  of  to  prevent  dirt  sticking 
on  the  oily  threads. 

Spike  maul  handles  should  be  carefully  hung  by  a  man 
who  understands  the  requirements.  In  order  to  get  the 
maximum  and  most  satisfactory  use  of  the  tool,  the  han- 
dle should  have  a  snug  driving  fit.  A  long  thin  iron 
wedge  made  especially  for  the  purpose  should  then  be 
driven  in  the  end  of  the  handle  to  wedge  the  head  on.  A 
spike  is  too  blunt,  and  a  nail  makes  a  poor  wedge. 

A  tie  fiddle  is  seldom  furnished  in  an  outfit  of.  tools, 
but  can  easily  be  made  with  a  saw  and  hammer.  A  cleat 

34 


TRACK    TOOLS 


is  nailed  across  the  end  at  right  angles  to  a  short  board ; 
the  standard  distance  that  the  ties  are  to  project  beyond 
the  rail  base  is  marked  off  from  the  inside  edge  of  the 
cleat,  and  the  board  is  sawed  off  on  this  line.  When 
placed  on  the  face  with  the  cleat  against  the  end  of  the 
tie,  the  uncleated  end  of  the  tie  fiddle  shows  the  correct 
line  for  the  outside  of  the  rail  base.  The  tie  fiddle  is  an 
exceedingly  useful  adjunct  to  the  tools  of  a  track  gang. 

A  tie  pole  is  made  by  marking  off  the  proper  or  stand- 
ard spacing  for  the  ties  on  a  board  or  iron  rod.  The  pole 
is  usually  made  the  same  length  as  a  standard  rail,  so  that 


Fig.    1—    Tie    Fiddle. 


Spot-Board 
Bracket. 


the  joint  tie  centers  may  be  layed  out  properly  on  it.  The 
pole  should  be  carefully  measured  so  that  uniform  and 
correct  spacing  will  be  possible.  If  it  is  desired  to  have 
a  spacer  which  will  take  care  of  several  rail  lengths  of 
track,  a  wire  rope  or  cable  would  be  very  useful.  The 
standard  spacing  for  several  rail  lengths  could  be  painted 
on  in  white  paint;  this  tie  spacer  would  not  have  to  be 
moved  so  often  and  would  make  it  possible  for  the  tie 
spacers  to  work  a  long  way  ahead  of  the  rail  gang.  The 
rear  rail  length  of  this  rope  could  be  left  unmarked,  and 
the  spacing  done  entirely  ahead  of  the  rail  gang. 

A  hook  gage  is  frequently  made  of  a  board  with  four 
cleats  which  clasp  the  balls  of  the  two  rails  and  hold  them 

35 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


to  gage  for  the  iron  car.  This  tool  is  seldom  furnished 
in  a  kit  of  tools,  but  if  properly  made  and  used  is  a  great 
labor  saver. 

Track  wrenches,  when  new,  are  likely  to  be  too  small 
between  the  jaws  to  fit  over  the  nuts.  In  hot  weather  they 
may  be  spread  in  the  following  manner:  Place  the  jaws 
of  the  wrench  flat  on  a  rail,  and  hit  the  shank  just  back 
of  the  jaws  with  a  spike  maul  several  times.  In  cold 
weather  the  wrench  must  be  heated  a  little  or  it  may 
break  when  struck  with  a  hammer.  The  jaws  should  not 


Fig.   2— Hook  Gage. 

be  widened  further  than  necessary  to  make  a  very  snug 
fit,  as  the  tendency  in  use  is  to  become  wider. 

The  foreman  should  not  allow  laborers  to  hammer  a 
new  or  a  good  claw  bar  to  drive  it  under  spike  heads. 
If  spikes  are  old  and  hard  to  pull,  one  particular  claw  bar 
should  be  detailed  for  the  purpose,  and  the  rest  saved  in 
good  condition. 

Tool  Boxes — Tool  boxes  should  be  kept  in  careful 
and  neat  order,  so  that  the  tool  man  or  foreman  can  ob- 
tain any  tool  instantly  when  needed.  Careful  placing 
of  the  tools  will  double  the  capacity  of  a  tool  box.  Heavy 
tools  such  as  lining  bars  and  spike  mauls  should  be  put 
in  the  bottom  and  light  tools  likely  to  be  bent  or  broken 
should  be  placed  near  the  top.  An  ordinary  wooden  box 

30 


TRACK    TOOLS 


will  soon  be  knocked  to  pieces  unless  tools  are  placed  in 
the  box  and  not  thrown  in.  It  is  generally  advisable  to 
have  the  laborers  pile  their  tools  up  to  one  side  and  have 
the  tool  man  place  them  in  the  box. 

Loss  of  Tools — Tools  if  not  watched  are  likely  to  be 
borrowed  by  other  track  gangs.  Axes,  cold  chisels,  files, 
saws,  lanterns,  monkey  wrenches,  nails,  oil  cans,  pad- 
locks, picks,  shovels,  tape  lines,  water  pails  and  dippers 
are  of  use  to  outsiders  and  may  be  stolen  if  not  carefully 
looked  after. 

Tools  which  are  easily  lost  and  which  should  there- 
fore be  checked  up  daily,  are  cold  chisels,  crayons,  expan- 
sion shims,  files,  axes,  saws,  oil  cans,  drill  bits,  spike  pull- 
ers, rail  forks,  track  chisels,  track  wrenches,  spike  punches 
and  center  punches. 

Too  much  stress  cannot  be  laid  on  the  necessity  of  car- 
ing for  tools.  Even  aside  from  the  question  of  economy, 
the  necessity  for  good  tools  on  rush  jobs,  and  the  advan- 
tage of  having  good  tools  on  all  ordinary  jobs,  should  be 
sufficient  to  make  each  foreman  jealously  guard  and  care 
for  his  tools. 

Hand  Cars* — It  hardly  seems  necessary  to  comment 
upon  the  operation  of  ordinary  hand  cars  and  speeders. 
But  the  scarcity  of  easy  running  and  properly  cared  for 
cars  which  a  foreman  finds  as  he  moves  from  gang  to 
gang  and  railroad  to  railroad  would  seem  to  indicate  that 
there  is  something  radically  wrong  somewhere.  The  ma- 
jority of  men  dismiss  the  subject  by  assigning  the  rea- 
sons of  "carelessness  and  neglect."  True,  this  accounts 
for  a  large  proportion  of  the  trouble,  but  experience 
shows  that  not  less  than  half  is  due  entirely  to  ignorance. 

*Abstract  from  an  article  by  Claude  L.  Van  Auken,  published  in 
Railway  Engineering. 

37 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


Many  handcar  and  speeder  pumpers  are  perfectly  willing 
and  would  be  anxious  to  properly  care  for  their  cars  if 
they  knew  how  to  put  them  and  keep  them  in  easy  run- 
ning shape,  so  as  to  lighten  the  labor  of  pumping. 

Most  handcars  are  manufactured  with  the  idea  of  mak- 
ing them  light  running,  and  consequently  the  majority 
of  new  cars  when  received  are  squared  up  and  true. 
However,  if  they  are  not,  they  should  be  tuned  up  by 
loosening  the  bolts  which  fasten  the  boxes  in  which  one 
of  the  axles  revolves,  and  moving  one  end  of  the  axle  for- 


'Wrong  Position 
for  Axle 

— «— — 

Correct  Position 


Flanae  for 

Binding 

Fig.    3— Hand    Car    Axles    in    Incorrect    Position. 

ward  or  back  to  a  position  where  there  will  be  no  ten- 
dency for  the  flange  of  any  of  the  wheels  to  bind  against 
the  rail  when  the  car  is  moved  forward  on  straight  track. 
(See  Fig.  3.) 

Wheels  Binding — Flanges  binding  against  the  rail 
cause  more  hard  pumping  than  any  other  single  defect. 
When  the  axles  are  in  the  proper  position,  the  bolts 
should  be  tightened  firmly  and  kept  tight.  Handcars 
should  be  tried  out  frequently  to  see  if  they  are  true,  as 
setting  cars  off  and  on  the  track,  pushing  them  loaded 
with  tools  over  highway  crossings,  rough  handling,  etc., 
are  very  likely  to  loosen  and  move  the  boxes  from  their 
proper  positions. 

Binding  may  also  be  caused  by  a  wheel  not  running 

38 


TRACK    TOOLS 


parallel  to  the  track,  although  the  axle  may  be  in  proper 
position.  (See  Fig.  3-a.)  This  in  a  new  car  is  clearly  the 
fault  of  the  manufacturer  and  should  be  remedied  in  the 
shop.  Binding  occasionally  is  caused  by  a  crooked  wheel. 
If  the  wheel  cannot  be  straightened  and  trued  up  a  new 
wheel  should  be  obtained. 

Front  and  Rear — Most  handcars  have  their  front  or 
rear  ends  marked,  and  if  the  wheels  and  axles  are 
properly  trued  up  the  car  will  always  run  lighter  when 
placed  on  the  track  with  the  front  end  in  the  direc- 


•Correct  Position 
for  Wheel 


Bi 


Wrvng  Fbsiffon 
for  meet  -^ 

Fig.   3a— Hand  Car  Wheel  Flange  Binding. 


tion  of  travel.  This  is  especially  true  when  running 
around  curves.  All  wheels  except  the  loose  wheels  should 
be  keyed  tightly  to  the  axle  and  not  allowed  to  work 
loose  or  get  out  of  position  so  that  they  may  bind.  The 
loose  wheel  should  be  painted  a  conspicuous  color  or  oth- 
erwise marked  so  as  to  be  readily  recognized,  and  the  car 
should  always  be  turned  by  lifting  the  end  opposite  to  the 
end  with  the  loose  wheel.  Proper  lubrication  of  the  loose 
wheel  reduces  the  work  of  pumping  around  curves,  as  it 
allows  easier  adjustment  to  the  unequal  distance  traveled 
by  the  inner  and  outer  wheels. 

Grinding — Next  in  importance  to  binding  comes  grind- 
ing.    Grinding  in  the  bearings  may  be  due  to  lack  of 

39 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


oil,  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  more  frequently  it  is  be- 
cause of  dirt  and  sand  in  the  bearings. 

Handcars  should  not  be  used  for  transporting  sand  and 
gravel,  but  in  case  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  use  them 
for  this  purpose,  the  bearing  and  oil  holes  should  be  pro- 
tected by  boards  or  tin  strips,  or  by  plugging  up. 

Oiling — Exterior  surfaces  around  bearings  and  oil 
holes  should  be  kept  clean  of  oil  and  grease,  otherwise 
dirt  will  accumulate.  The  cogs  of  the  gear  wheels  of 
either  a  speeder  or  handcar  should  never  be  oiled.  While 
good,  clean  oil  will  reduce  friction  between  the  cogs,  it 
will  also  cause  an  accumulation  of  dirt,  sand  and  cinders 
and  before  long  the  teeth  will  be  choked  with  a  hard, 
gritty  mass  which  will  cause  the  car  to  drag,  even  down 
grade. 

Bolts  and  screws  holding  the  frame  together  should  be 
kept  reasonably  tight,  but  not  too  tight,  especially  where 
the  heads  or  nuts  and  washers  sink  into  the  wood.  Unless 
the  nuts  on  the  underside  of  the  platform  are  tightened 
occasionally,  especially  those  with  which  oil  comes  in 
constant  contact,  they  will  jar  loose  and  the  lower  half 
of  the  bearing  box  may  drop  off  unnoticed.  Hand  car 
boxes  and  nuts  should  always  be  kept  tight  enough  to 
keep  lost  motion  at  a  minimum  for  easy  running,  and  the 
cars  should  be  oiled  each  day.  Cars  which  run  easily 
save  the  strength  of  the  men,  and  also  save  time.  Hard- 
running  cars  breed  dissatisfaction.  The  push  car  should 
also  receive  frequent  attention  and  oiling. 

The  motor  car  is  displacing  the  handcar  to  a  large  ex- 
tent, except  on  4-track  or  heavy-traffic  lines  where  the 
sections  are  short.  A  good  motor  car  is  a  profitable  in- 
vestment for  a  long  section. 

Motor  Cars — The  use  of  gasoline  section  mot9r  cars  on 

40 


TRACK    TOOLS 


railways  has  been  recommended  by  many  progressive 
officials  who  concede  that  they  make  for  ultimate  econ- 
omy. The  first  requirement  necessary  for  success  in  the 
use  of  motor  cars  on  railway  work  is  to  select  a  car  that 
is  suitable.  Obviously  a  light  inspection  car  should  not  be 
selected  to  carry  four  or  five  men  and  pull  a  speeder  be- 
hind carrying  one  or  two  men ;  and  vice  versa,  a  heavy 
section  car  should  not  be  assigned  to  the  use  of  two  men, 
especially  on  lines  of  heavy  traffic,  because  of  the  diffi- 
culty of  handling  and  the  increased  likelihood  of  the  car 
being  run  down  by  a  train. 

Operators — Assuming  that  a  suitable  car  has  been 
selected,  the  next  essential  thing  is  that  one  man  among 
the  users  be  selected  as  an  operator  to  run  the  car,  instead 
of  allowing  different  men  to  operate  it.  If  a  car  is  oper- 
ated by  any  one  of  several  men,  each  considers  the  car 
to  have  been  improperly  adjusted  by  the  last  operator. 
Hence  there  is  a  great  deal  of  useless  and  sometimes 
harmful  tinkering  with  spark  coils,  gasoline  feed,  lubri- 
cator oil  cups,  etc.  An  emergency  operator  should  be 
broken  in,  but  the  practice  of  allowing  Tom,  Dick  and 
Harry  to  run  the  car  should  be  stopped. 

Keeping  Cars  Clean — There  is  one  point  which  cannot 
be  emphasized  too  strongly — keep  the  cars  clean.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  important  points  in  maintaining  effi- 
ciency in  this  service,  although  it  may  not  appear  so. 

A  little  time  should  be  spent  every  day  cleaning  off 
the  grease  and  dirt,  and  the  car  should  be  cleaned  well 
at  least  once  or  twice  a  week,  depending  on  its  condi- 
tion— once  a  week  at  the  very  least  is  necessary. 

Inspection — A  daily  inspection  of  the  car  is  also  most 
important.  This  means  tightening  any  screws  or  nuts 
that  may  have  worked  loose  during  the  day's  run.  This 

41 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


can  be  done  at  night  or  in  the  morning,  but  it  should 
be  done  daily.  It  is  very  seldom  necessary  to  take  a  car 
apart,  but  in  such  case  it  is  preferable  that  an  experi- 
enced man  be  called  in  to  do  the  work,  unless  the  oper- 
ator understands  the  case  thoroughly.  When  a  car  is 
in  need  of  repairing,  aside  from  the  engine,  it  should 
not  be  run,  but  should  be  repaired,  thereby  avoiding 
accidents. 

Filling  the  Tank — When  filling  the  gasoline  tank  it  is 
advisable  to  strain  the  gasoline  through  chamois  skin. 
This  draws  out  any  water  impurities  that  may  be  in  the 
fuel.  If  the  gasoline  feed  tube  leaks,  the  car  should  not 
be  used  because  the  chances  are  it  will  catch  fire. 

The  car  should  always  be  covered  when  not  in  use, 
giving  it  as  much  protection  from  the  elements  as  pos- 
sible. Oil  and  grease  should  be  kept  away  from  the  in- 
sulated wires,  for  in  time  the  oil  will  soak  through  and 
ruin  the  insulation. 

Spark  Plugs — When  testing  a  spark  plug,  it  should 
be  held  not  more  than  about  J4  m-  from  the  cylinder, 
otherwise  the  coil  will  be  injured  and  possibly  burnt  out. 
Spark  plugs  seldom  wear  out ;  in  case  they  are  giving 
trouble,  all  that  is  usually  needed  is  a  thorough  clean- 
ing. It  is  not  necessary  to  screw  spark  plugs  in  exces- 
sively tight;  if  this  is  done,  they  will  expand  so  much 
that  it  will  be  almost  impossible  to  get  them  out  again. 
Porcelain  plugs  break  very  easily  and  must  not  be 
screwed  up  too  tight. 

Dry  Cells — Sometimes  in  cold  weather  dry  cells  will 
freeze  up.  This  does  not  mean  that  they  are  run  down, 
but  if  thawed  they  will  probably  be  found  all  right. 
When  leaving  a  car  the  battery  switch  should  be  thrown 
off,  and  the  gasoline  valve  closed.  If  the  car  is  water- 

42 


TRACK   TOOLS 


cooled  the  water  should  be  drawn  from  the  radiator  and 
cylinder  in  freezing  weather;  this  prevents  the  cylinder 
from  cracking. 

Not  to  be  Used  for  Recreation — The  practice  of  allow- 
ing gasoline  cars  to  be  used  for  recreation,  outside  of 
working  hours,  should  be  discouraged,  especially  in  the 
absence  of  the  foreman.  Indiscriminate  use  of  motor 
cars  is  likely  to  result  in  accidents  and  loss  of  life,  due 
to  collisions  with  other  small  cars  or  with  trains. 

Rigid  rules  for  the  operation  of  all  classes  of  power 
inspection  and  section  cars  should  be  formulated  and  en- 
forced. Where  practical,  and  especially  with  heavy  cars 
or  heavy  loads,  motor  cars  should  be  operated  by  train 
orders.  If  this  is  impractical,  cars  may  be  safely  operated 
between  trains,  by  keeping  in  close  communication  with 
train  despatchers  and  telegraph  operators.  Flagging 
must  be  resorted  to  occasionally  to  fully  protect  the  car; 
and  when  necessary,  no  hesitancy  should  be  shown  in 
stopping  even  the  most  important  trains  to  prevent  a  col- 
lision. 

Instructions — The  man  selected  as  operator  should  be 
furnished  a  complete  set  of  instructions ;  and  he  should 
be  a  man  who  can  absorb  sufficient  knowledge  from 
printed  and  verbal  instructions  to  enable  him  to  thor- 
oughly understand  the  principles  of  the  generation  of 
power,  and  the  mechanical  contrivances  of  the  car.  If 
the  operator's  knowledge  consists  of  "advance  timer  lever 
and  open  the  throttle,"  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  failure 
is  assured  at  the  very  outset. 

With  every  make  of  car  a  list  of  "don't  and  do's"  is 
furnished.  It  is  well  to  read  these  carefully,  for  they 
usually  represent  the  errors  which  inexperienced  oper- 
ators are  most  likely  to  make.  Actual  experience  with 

43 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


trouble,  however,  teaches  the  operator  more  than  any 
printed  matter,  provided  that  he  is  able  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  the  trouble,  that  he  can  repair  or  over- 
come the  trouble,  and  that  he  can  prevent  similar 
trouble  from  recurring  in  the  future. 

Care  in  Operation — Hand  in  hand  with  good  opera- 
tion must  go  proper  care,  to  insure  success  with  motor 
cars.  Bolts  and  nuts  located  on  the  moving  parts  par- 
ticularly, and  all  parts  subjected  to  constant  jar  and 
contact  with  oil,  are  likely  to  work  loose.  Therefore, 
daily  inspection  and  occasional  tightening  is  absolutely 
necessary.  This  is  also  true  of  the  electrical  connections. 
Proper  lubrication  is  sometimes  neglected  in  order  to 
save  time,  but  this  frequently  ends  in  a  loss  of  time,  due 
to  the  cylinder  or  cylinders  running  hot.  With  an  air- 
cooled  engine  the  matter  of  lubrication  becomes  vital,  for 
a  hot,  dry  cylinder  means  loss  of  power  and  permanent 
injury  to  both  piston  and  cylinder,  due  to  the  friction, 
which  is  increased  by  the  expansion  of  the  piston  from 
the  heat  generated.  For  this  reason  extra  precautions 
should  be  taken  to  prevent  a  shortage  or  loss  of  lubri- 
cating oil  when  on  the  road  away  from  a  supply.  This 
is  the  most  frequent  cause  of  needless  injury  to  motor 
car  engines.  A  good  method  of  cooling  an  engine  is  to 
cut  out  the  compression  when  running  at  a  fair  speed  or 
down  grade,  and  allow  the  plunging  piston  to  draw  in 
cold  air  and  expel  it  with  the  following  stroke  after  it 
has  taken  up  heat.  Lubricating  oil  may  be  mixed  with 
the  gasoline  in  the  summer  time,  before  it  is  placed  in 
the  gasoline  tank,  provided  the  oil  is  light  and  free  from 
all  foreign  matter  which  might  stop  up  the  outlet.  A 
lubricating  oil  can  be  obtained  which  actually  unites 
with  the  gasoline.  If  this  oil  is  well  mixed  with  the 

44 


TRACK    TOOLS 


gasoline  before  placing  it  in  the  tank  it  will  not  settle 
and  congeal,  even  in  cold  weather. 

Exposure  of  cars  to  inclement  weather,  while  not  nec- 
essarily dangerous,  should  be  avoided,  particularly  since 
a  few  square  yards  of  heavy  weather-proof  covering, 
such  as  tarpaulin,  will  be  sufficient  to  protect  the  car. 
Continued  rain  or  snow,  especially  with  a  driving  wind, 
is  certain  to  cause  trouble  somewhere.  Proper  care  of 
a  motor  car,  however,  does  not  consist  entirely  of  pre- 
vention. When  a  car  appears  consistently  to  lack  its 
usual  power,  it  isn't  a  candidate  for  the  junk  pile,  or  nec- 
essarily a  bad  order  case  for  the  shop.  A  complete  over- 
hauling and  cleaning  is  more  often  all  that  is  required, 
and  this  can  usually  be  done  in  a  few  hours'  time  by  a 
man  familiar  with  gasoline  engines,  with  the  ordinary 
available  kit  of  tools  and  equipment. 

Details  of  Motor  Car  Operation — Before  starting  a 
car  the  gasoline  tank  should  be  examined  to  see  that 
there  is  sufficient  fuel  to  run  it  to  the  destination.  When 
the  engine  starts,  the  timer  lever  should  be  advanced 
slowly.  The  timer  lever  should  always  be  carried  ahead 
of  the  throttle  lever  when  running.  This  not  only  saves 
the  gasoline,  but  gets  more  power  out  of  the  car.  Grease 
cups  should  be  screwed  up  tight,  and  the  car  should 
be  well  oiled  before  starting.  A  car  should  not  be  run 
faster  than  twenty  miles  per  hour.  When  running  a 
car  behind  a  train,  it  should  run  at  least  1,000  feet  in 
the  rear. 

The  brakes  should  always  be  tested  before  starting. 
Grandstand  stops  should  never  be  attempted  as  the 
brakes  may  fail.  When  approaching  road  crossings,  the 
car  should  be  run  slow,  with  engine  cut  out,  and  always 
at  such  speed  that  the  car  may  be  stopped  before  run- 

45 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


ning  onto  the  crossing.  It  is  advisable  to  have  a  bell 
to  notify  crossing  watchmen  of  the  approach  of  the  car. 
When  running  at  night  a  white  light  should  be  placed 
on  the  head  end,  and  a  red  light  on  the  rear  end  of  the 
car. 

When  being  overtaken  by  a  following  train,  the  car 
should  be  taken  off  the  track  at  once.  It  is  dangerous 
to  try  to  keep  the  lead — the  engine  may  fail  and  acci- 
dents result. 

Starting  Motor  Cars  in  Cold  Weather — It  is  harder  to 
start  motor  cars  in  the  winter  because  the  gas  is  devapor- 
ized  by  the  cold  cylinder  walls.  With  a  water-cooled 
engine,  boiling  hot  water  may  be  put  in  the  water  jacket, 
a  most  effective  way  of  rapidly  heating  the  engine.  The 
carburetor  may  be  heated  with  a  bag  of  warm  sand 
or  with  warm  water,  but  fire  should  not  be  used  if  some 
other  method  of  heating  can  be  employed. 

A  half  thimble  full  of  gasoline  should  be  placed  in  each 
priming  cup,  which  should  then  be  closed.  The  carbu- 
retor should  be  flushed  or  flooded  with  the  plunger,  and 
the  engine  will  then  start  if  the  crank  shaft  is  revolved. 
The  gasoline  should  be  turned  on,  the  switches  closed 
and  the  throttle  opened  before  starting  the  engine. 
Special  gasoline  of  62  to  64  degrees  Baume  should  be 
purchased  for  priming  purposes. 

The  preceding  relates  to  starting  4-cycle  engines.  With 
a  2-cycle  engine  the  lubricating  oil  can  be  warmed  thor- 
oughly, mixed  with  the  gasoline,  and  then  placed  in  the 
gas  tank,  thus  warming  the  gasoline  so  that  the  engine 
can  be  started  easily. 

Water  is  likely  to  freeze  in  the  low  points  of  the  car- 
buretor or  pipe  connections  and  stop  the  flow  of  gasoline. 
To  determine  whether  this  has  happened  the  carburetor 

46 


TRACK    TOOLS 


should  be  flooded,  and  if  no  gas  is  generated  heat  should 
be  applied  to  the  low  point  in  the  carburetor  or  the  pipe, 
which  is  probably  frozen. 

If  the  car  has  a  free-running  engine  it  can  be  started 
in  the  section  house.  With  a  direct-connected  engine 
the  drive  wheel  should  be  lifted  up  and  a  box  placed 
under  one  end  of  the  car  so  that  it  can  be  started  in  the 
section  house. 

Causes  of  Trouble  With  Motor  Cars— C.  B.  Skelton, 
motor  car  inspector  on  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St. 
Paul,  gives  the  following  suggestions  for  operation  of 
motor  cars: 

"See  that  the  working  parts  of  engines  are  kept  clean 
at  all  times,  especially  the  timer,  contact  points,  chains, 
spark  plugs,  valves  and  piston  rings.  The  latter  may  be 
easily  cleaned  by  using  kerosene  in  the  engine.  In  addi- 
tion, see  that  all  wires  are  fastened  securely  at  the  ter- 
minals and  that  insulation  is  in  good  shape. 

"A  great  many  times  a  foreman  will  have  the  spark 
plugs  cleaned  and  will  not  test  them  before  having  them 
replaced  in  the  cylinders.  This  should  always  be  done. 

"If  a  spark  is  not  perceptible  something  is  wrong;  the 
plug  is  grounded  either  through  the  porcelain  member 
or  through  the  insulation.  Possibly  the  current  is  jump- 
ing through  the  wiring  at  some  point  and  not  reaching 
the  plug.  In  a  case  of  this  kind  another  plug  should  be 
tried,  to  make  sure  just  where  the  trouble  lies. 

"Spark  coil  boxes  should  be  protected  from  rain  and 
snow  by  covering  the  box  with  oil  cloth  or  with  some 
other  covering  that  will  keep  the  moisture  out. 

"Spark  coils  are  often  damaged  by  connecting  up  too 
many  batteries  to  the  coil.  Most  coils  are  built  for  6 
volts  on  the  battery  circuit,  or  the  equivalent  of  4  cells 

47 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


when  batteries  are  new ;  if  more  batteries  are  added  the 
voltage  runs  over  6  volts,  not  only  wearing  out  the 
vibrator  points  very  rapidly,  but  very  often  burning  the 
coil  insulation,  putting  it  out  of  service. 

"When  coils  become  worn  out  or  it  is  found  that  they 
do  not  work  properly,  the  foremen  should  not  undertake 
to  make  the  repairs  themselves,  as  the  instruments  are 
very  delicate,  but  should  send  the  coils  to  the  general 
storekeeper  under  registered  baggage  for  repairs ;  and  in 
each  case  the  roadmaster  should  make  requisition  for  the 
repairs  and  show  the  registered  tag  number  on  the  requisi- 
tion. 

"Carburetors  should  also  be  handled  in  this  way  and 
should  never  be  shipped  to  the  general  storekeeper  by 
freight,  for  these  parts  cost  considerable  money  and  are 
often  lost  or  stolen  when  shipped  in  this  way.  Under  no 
circumstances  should  foremen  keep  extra  spark  coils  or 
carburetors  in  tool  houses  for  emergencies,  but  on  receipt 
of  a  new  carburetor  coil  should  immediately  ship  the  old 
one  to  the  general  storekeeper  under  registered  baggage 
and  advise  him  so  that  he  will  know  who  it  is  from. 

"When  it  is  found  necessary  to  order  new  parts  for 
motor  cars,  the  foreman  should  first  go  through  his  cat- 
alogue and  obtain  the  correct  symbol  number  of  the  part 
he  desires,  then  advise  the  roadmaster  of  the  part  num- 
ber of  the  motor  car.  If  the  foremen  will  follow  these 
instructions,  it  will  save  the  storekeeper  and  others  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  and  will  eliminate  a  great  many 
delays  which  are  caused  by  the  wrong  part  being 
ordered." 


48 


CHAPTER  III. 


SPIKING,   CUTTING  AND   CURVING  RAILS,  ETC. 

Spiking — A  foreman  can  obtain  good  spiking  only  by 
very  careful  supervision  and  training  of  the  men.  Spikes 
should  always  be  driven  perpendicular  to  the  face  of  the 
tie.  If  driven  slanting,  their  holding  power  is  decreased 
and  they  are  difficult  to  pull  with  a  claw  bar.  Spikes 
should  be  driven  down  so  as  to  give  the  head  a  firm  hold 
on  the  rail,  but  should  not  be  struck  after  being  snug, 


Fig.  4 — Correct  Position  of  Spikes  on  Ties. 

as  they  are  likely  to  crack  under  the  spike  head.  The 
spikes  should  be  staggered — those  on  the  outsides  of  the 
rails  should  be  near  the  same  edge  of  the  tie,  and  those 
on  the  insides  of  the  rails  should  be  on  the  opposite  edge 
of  the  tie.  This  will  keep  ties  from  slewing  around  or 
rocking.  The  usual  practice  is  to  place  spikes  at  least 
2%  in.  from  the  edge  of  hewn  or  sawed  ties,  and  one- 
fourth  of  the  width  of  the  face  from  the  edge  of  pole 
ties.  On  curves,  the  best  practice  is  to  double-spike  the 

49 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


outsides  of  the  rails,  using  tie  plates  with  two  holes  in 
each  side. 


WPONG,   WAY  TO 
DRIVE  A  3P1K£. 


URONGNOfTO 

DRIVE  fl  6W/<£. 


PWV£A  6PME. 


Fig.  5 — Correct  Way  to  Drive  Spikes. 

Whipping  Spikes — The  practice  of  "whipping  spikes," 
that  is,  bending  them  toward  the  spiker,  is  to  be  severely 
condemned.  Drawing  the  rail  in  when  driving  the  spikes 
should  never  be  allowed  except  in  places  where  it  is  ab- 

50 


SPIKING,  CUTTING  AND  CURVING  RAILS,  ETC. 

solutely  impossible  to  force  the  rail  in  against  the  gage 
with  a  bar. 

Gage  Spikers — When  spiking,  the  tie  is  held  up  against 
the  rail  by  the  nipper  with  a  pinch  bar  and  block,  or 
with  one  of  the  various  types  of  holding-up  bars.  Much 
depends  on  having  the  gage  uniformly  correct  and 
the  gage  spikes  driven  straight  and  accurately.  When 
line  spiking,  the  line  rail  should  be  kept  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible to  the  correct  line. 

Expansion — The  importance  of  providing  correct  ex- 
pansion when  laying  rails,  cannot  be  overestimated.  If 
the  track  is  laid  too  tight,  sun  kinks  will  result,  particu- 
larly if  there  is  an  insufficient  amount  of  ballast.  If 
there  is  plenty  of  ballast,  tight  track  may  be  kept  from 
kinking  to  any  appreciable  amount,  but  it  will  fre- 
quently show  small  kinks  at  joints  and  the  track  will 
appear  to  be  in  imperfect  line.  It  is  impossible  to  sur- 
face track  or  line  it  if  it  is  too  tight,  for  no  sooner  is 
the  track  loosened  than  it  kicks  out  and  it  is  then  al- 
most impossible  to  get  it  back  onto  the  grade  where  it 
belongs.  It  is  also  extremely  difficult  to  make  any 
changes  in  such  a  track ;  for  instance,  to  put  in  a  switch 
or  to  put  in  insulated  joints,  which  require  an  extra  half- 
inch  space  for  the  end  posts.  In  very  tight  track  it  is 
usually  advisable  to  wait  until  after  a  switch  has  all  been 
put  in,  to  measure  and  cut  the  pieces  back  of  the  frog. 
The  amount  of  expansion  required  has  been  reduced 
greatly  with  the  advent  of  heavy  section  rails. 

Loose  expansion  is  likely  to  cause  the  rails  to  pull 
apart  in  the  winter  time,  leaving  a  joint  so  wide  open 
so  that  it  may  cause  a  wreck,  and  even  in  the  summer 
time  the  joints  will  be  so  wide  open  that  the  rails  will 

51 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


be  battered  and  spoiled  and  almost  impossible  to  keep 
up  to  surface. 

Cutting  Rails — An  excellent  method  of  cutting  rails 
is  as  follows:  Chisel  mark  the  rail  to  a  depth  of  about 
Y%  in.  on  both  sides  of  the  web  and  base  (not  the  ball) 
with  a  sharp  track  chisel.  Turn  the  rail  on  its  side  and 
spring  down  with  bars  or  by  having  men  stand  on  it 
and  in  the  meantime  place  a  chisel  on  the  rail  above  the 
cut  and  strike  it  with  a  heavy  hammer  until  a  small 
crack  appears  in  the  cut.  The  rail  should  then  be  turned 
over  on  its  other  side  and  the  operation  repeated.  Fi- 
nally the  rail  may  be  turned  ball  up  and  a  heavy  blow 


Fig.    6 — Easy  and   Quick   Way    of   Breaking   Rail. 

struck  on  an  old  chisel  held  above  the  cut,  with  the  men 
standing  on  the  rail ;  one  blow  will  usually  be  enough. 
The  chisel  should  be  held  directly  above  the  cut  and 
then  a  clean,  straight  break  will  be  made.  The  chisel 
cuts  should  all  lie  in  a  plane  perpendicular  to  the  axis 
of  the  rail,  and  the  cutting  chisel  should  be  struck  only 
light  square  blows  or  the  edge  may  be  broken  or  chipped. 
A  fairly  good  cut  can  be  made  as  follows :  (See  Fig.  6.) 
Cut  the  top  of  the  base  of  the  rail  on  one  side, 
deeply  from  edge  to  web,  with  a  sharp  chisel.  Turn  the 
rail  on  its  side  with  the  cut  down,  next  to  a  rail  on  the 
track  and  with  ends  resting  on  blocks.  Four  men  with 

52 


SPIKING,  CUTTING  AND  CURVING  RAILS,  ETC. 

bars  obtain  a  leverage  under  the  ball  of  the  rail,  and 
bear  heavily  on  it  while  a  man  strikes  a  blow  on  the 
chisel  held  on  the  base  of  the  rail  above  the  cut.  When 
the  rail  cracks  in  the  cut,  it  is  turned  on  the  opposite 
side  and  the,  operation  repeated.  The  rail  is  then  turned 
ball  up  and  one  sharp  blow  on  the  chisel  held  over  the 
cut  will  usually  break  it. 

Rails  cut  in  the  first  way  mentioned  often  show  a 
smoothness  of  face  rivaling  that  of  a  sawed  rail.  An 
older  method  of  breaking  a  rail  was  to  chisel  mark  the 
ball  in  addition  to  the  web  and  flange.  A  short  piece  of 
rail  or  "dutchman"  was  placed  under  the  cut,  one  end  of 
the  rail  was  lifted  high  off  the  ground  by  a  number 
of  men,  and  allowed  to  drop.  The  last  method  has  the 
following  disadvantages :  (a)  It  exposes  men  to  the 
danger  of  being  caught  under  the  falling  rail  and  in- 
jured; (b)  it  requires  more  cutting  and  therefore  more 
time;  (c)  it  requires  more  men;  (d)  it  does  not  produce 
as  clean  a  break.  The  ease  with  which  a  rail  breaks 
depends  not  so  much  on  the  depth  as  on  the  straight- 
ness  and  sharpness  of  the  grooves  cut  in  it.  If  the  rail 
is  hot  the  process  of  cracking  may  be  facilitated  by 
chilling  it  with  cold  water  at  the  point  where  the  rail 
is  chisel  marked. 

The  use  of  hack  saws  for  cutting  rails  is  becoming 
common.  Several  hack-saw  machines  are  on  the  mar- 
ket, which  eliminate  the  disadvantages  of  the  old  hack 
saw,  that  is,  breaking  of  blades,  slow  progress,  poor  cuts, 
and  back-breaking  work.  The  Schmidt  hack  saw,  it  is 
claimed,  will  cut  an  average  weight  rail  in  about  40 
minutes.  The  tool  is  handled  by  one  man  and  the  labor 
cost  is  not  any  more  and  probably  less  than  cutting  a  rail 
with  a  chisel,  which  takes  at  least  two  men.  Particularly 

53 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


with  a  poor  class  of  labor  there  is  a  great  advantage  in 
using  one  of  these  machines. 

Cutting  off  Short  Pieces  of  Rail. — For  cutting  a  short 
piece,  say  6  ins.,  off  the  end,  the  rail  should  be  marked 
as  described  above.  It  should  then  be  turned  ball  down, 
the  chisel  placed  in  the  cut  in  the  base  directly  above  the 
web  and  the  cutting  continued  until  the  rail  finally 
breaks.  Or  one  of  the  new  type  rail  benders  may  be 
used  to  break  the  short  piece  off. 

Mr.  F.  B.  Freeman,  chief  engineer  of  the  Boston  & 
Albany,  has  very  kindly  given  me  the  following  in- 
formation on  methods  used  in  cutting  rails  on  their  road. 
(1)  By  using  a  12-in.  hand  hack  saw,  it  requiring  about 
1  hour  to  saw  a  95  or  105-lb.  rail ;  (2)  by  the  use  of  a 
Schmidt  rail  saw,  this  method  being  very  satisfactory. 
A  piece  can  be  cut  from  a  105-lb.  rail  in  approximately 
45  minutes;  (3)  by  the  use  of  the  Samson  rail  bender, 
with  which  short  pieces  down  to  9  in.  can  be  cut  off. 
The  rail  is  marked  around  with  a  chisel  and  then  broken 
off  by  placing  the  rail  bender  upon  it  and  tightening  up 
with  the  wrench.  The  break  is  not  always  even  or  satis- 
factory, however,  using  this  method;  (4)  by  the  use  of 
the  Sherburne  rail  bender  by  which  a  piece  as  short  as 
18  in.  can  be  cut  from  the  end  of  the  rail  after  first  mark- 
ing with  the  chisel.  A  shorter  piece  can  be  taken  off  by 
bolting  two  rails  together,  but  this  method  is  seldom 
satisfactory;  (5)  by  the  use  of  a  sledge  hammer,  cutting 
the  rail  all  around  fully  and  deeply  with  a  chisel.  Place 
the  rail  on  a  solid  foundation  and  strike  the  end  with  a 
hammer.  Rails  of  80-lb.  sections  or  less  can  be  broken 
off  satisfactorily  in  this  way,  but  larger  rails  not  so  satis- 
factorily. 

"To  summarize,  the  satisfactory  methods  take  too  long 

54 


SPIKING,  CUTTING  AND  CURVING  RAILS,  ETC. 

a  time,  and  the  quicker  methods  do  not  give  an  even 
break.  What  we  really  want  is  some  kind  of  a  small 
oxy-acetylene  outfit,  which  would  make  a  clean  cut  in 
a  few  minutes  without  damaging  the  end  of  the  rail  or 
injuring  the  men. 

*Simple  Method  of  Cutting  Rail.— The  cutting  of 
rails  by  means  of  hacksaws  or  rail  saws  or  by  chiseling 
and  dropping  is  tedious  and  slow  as  compared  with  the 
following  method  of  breaking  the  rail  in  the  track.  With 
no  other  tools  required  than  those  carried  by  a  section 
crew,  several  men  can  neatly  break  a  rail  of  any  weight 
in  a  few  minutes. 

Remove  the  spikes  from  the  short  end  of  the  rail,  or 
the  pieces  to  be  cut  off.  On  the  outside  of  the  rail,  chisel 
a  line  about  TV  in.  deep  from  the  edge  of  the  base  to  the 
top  of  the  head.  Bend  the  end  of  the  rail  over  as  far  as 
possible  by  the  use  of  bars,  and  at  the  same  time 
place  a  track  chisel  on  the  inner  side  of  the  web  and  near 
the  base,  on  the  line  of  the  desired  cut,  and  give  it  a 
hard  blow  with  a  heavy  sledge,  as  pressure  is  exerted 
on  the  end  of  the  rail.  Nine  times  out  of  ten  the  rail  will 
snap  apart  without  a  second  trial,  making  a  clean-cut 
break.  If  a  very  neat  break  is  desired  saw  a  line  about 
-j1^  in.  deep  across  the  head.  Lengths  as  short  as  12  in. 
can  be  removed  providing  another  rail  is  attached  to 
make  it  possible  to  exert  the  necessary  pressure. 

Geo.  E.  Tonney. 

Bridge  Engineer  C.  A.  Smith  Timber  Company. 
Myrtle  Point,  Ore. 

Curving  Rails. — The  American  Railway  Engineering 
Association  recommends  that  rails  should  be  curved  for 

*From  Engineering  Record. 

55 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


all  curves  of  two  degrees  or  over.  The  natural  tendency  of 
a  rail  is  to  lie  straight  and  that  is  the  reason  that  most 
track  men  believe  in  laying  curved  tracks  with  broken 
joints,  for  then  the  centers  tend  to  move  inward  and  this 
tendency  is  resisted  by  the  joints  opposite,  which  tend 
to  move  outward  on  the  curve. 

Although  the  A.  R,  E.  A.  recommends  curving  for  two 
degrees  or  over,  the  general  practice  is  not  to  curve  under 
six  degrees.  The  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  does  not  curve  any 
mail-line  rails  and  only  those  for  the  sharpest  curves  on 
sidings. 

Rail  Benders — The  roller  rail  bender  is  generally  used 
for  curving  rails.  A  common  type  of  bender  consists  of 
two  rollers  which  are  placed  on  one  side  of  the  rail 
and  a  third  roller  which  is  placed  on  the  opposite  side. 
The  third  roller  can  be  adjusted  by  means  of  a  screw 
to  give  the  rail  the  proper  curvature.  The  roller  rail 
bender  can  either  be  arranged  to  move  along  the  rail  or 
can  be  fixed  at  a  certain  point  and  the  rail  moved  through 
the  bender. 

Putting  a  Stock  in  Rails — There  are  a  number  of  types 
of  rail-benders  on  the  market  for  putting  the  kink  or 
stock  in  the  stock  rail  of  a  switch,  the  jim  crow  being 
the  type  most  commonly  used.  This  consists  of  a  U- 
shaped  forging  with  a  screw  shaft  about  3  in.  in  diam- 
eter operating  through  threads  in  a  nut  which  bears 
against  the  middle  of  the  U  forging.  The  head  of  the 
screw  shaft  sets  against  one  side  of  the  rail  head  and  the 
ends  of  the  U-forging  hook  over  on  the  opposite  side,  so 
when  the  screw  is  tightened  it  produces  a  kink  in  the  rail 
between  the  two  hooks. 

A  newer  type  of  rail  bender  consists  of  a  casting  about 
3  or  4  ft.  long,  with  a  screw  shaft  in  one  end,  and  a  hook 

56 


SPIKING,  CUTTING  AND  CURVING  RAILS,  ETC. 

in  the  middle  which  clamps  over  ball  of  rail.  When  the 
screw  is  tightened  the  opposite  end  of  the  casting  presses 
against  the  rail,  while  the  hook  at  the  center  forces  the 
rail  in  the  opposite  direction,  thus  kinking  the  rail  at  the 
clamp. 

Superelevation  on  Curves — Opinions  on  the  subject 
of  superelevation  have  changed  materially  in  the  last  tew 
years.  It  is  not  customary  now  to  give  as  much  ele- 
vation on  curves  as  formerly  and  in  fact  many  engi- 
neers are  inclined  to  think  that  on  low-degree  curves, 
level  track  would  not  be  dangerous.  For  higher  degrees, 
however,  elevation  should  be  provided,  but  too  much 
elevation  should  not  be  allowed  any  more  than  too  lit- 
tle. The  engineers  should  specify  the  elevation  and 


Level' 

Fig.   1—  Saw-Tooth   Method  of  Elevating  Outer  Rail  on   Curves. 

this  information  should  be  put  on  the  stakes  at  the 
points  of  curves. 

Excessive  elevation  is  a  constant  source  of  trouble 
while  too  little  elevation  makes  dangerous  track.  In 
yards  and  on  sidings  it  is  not  necessary  to  provide 
elevation  unless  these  tracks  are  used  by  high  speed 
trains.  On  single  track'  the  elevation  is  usually  made 
by  elevating  the  outer  rail,  leaving  the  inner  rail  at 
grade.  This  makes  the  subsequent  maintenance  or  re- 
surfacing of  the  tracks  easy,  while  if  the  inner  rail  is  de- 
pressed it  would  be  difficult  to  resurface  the  track  if 
the  grade  stakes  were  lost.  ("Simplified  Curve  and  Switch 
Work,"  by  W.  F.  Rench  gives  in  detail,  practical  meth- 
ods of  spiraling,  lining  and  elevating  curves  correctly.) 

Curve  Elevation  on  Double  Track — Curve   elevation 

57 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


on  double  track  may  be  handled  in  three  different  ways. 
The  sawtooth  method  is  where  the  corresponding  rails 
of  both  tracks  are  at  the  same  elevation,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  7,  this  necessitates  extra  provision  for  drainage 
at  the  inner  rail  of  the  outer  track,  and  this  arrange- 
ment also  makes  it  difficult  to  put  in  crossovers.  The 
"step  method."  Fig.  7-a  is  where  the  outer  rail  of  the 
inside  track  and  the  inner  rail  of  the  outside  track  are 
placed  at  the  same  elevation,  usually  on  grade,  and  the 
superelevation  is  obtained  by  depressing  the  inner  rail 
of  the  inside  track  and  raising  the  outer  rail  of  the  out- 
side track.  It  is  difficult  to  put  in  crossovers  on  curves 
elevated  by  this  method.  If  crossovers  are  to  be  put 


•y 

'  Level  • 
Fig.  7a— Step  Method  of  Elevating  Outer  Rail  on  Curves. 

in,  the  plane  method  of  superelevation,  Fig.  7-b,  is  the 
best  one  to  use.  All  the  rails  are  placed  in  the  same 
slanting  plane,  which  requires  raising  the  grade  of  the 
outer  tracks  considerably.  This  is  objectionable  since 
this  raise  in  grade  must  be  run  out  at  the  ends  of  the 
curve.  On  three-  or  four-track  lines,  the  plane  method 
would  require  too  much  change  in  grade  to  be  adaptable. 
The  "step"  method  does  not  require  cross  drains  and  is 
perhaps  the  most  suitable  for  double  track  in  general. 

Widening  of  Gage — As  in  curve  elevation,  opinions 
regarding  the  widening  of  gage  on  curves  have  changed 
radically  in  the  last  few  years.  Many  engineers  are  not 
widening  the  gage  on  curves  of  less  than  ten  degrees. 
Wide  gage  is  likely  to  cause  excessive  wear  on  the  rails. 
A  table  is  given  in  the  Appendix  showing  the  amount  of 
gage  widening  which  the  American  Railway  Engineering 

58 


SPIKING,  CUTTING  AND  CURVING  RAILS,  ETC 

Association  recommends  for  curves  of  different  degrees. 
Tie  Plates — It  was  formerly  the  practice  to  use  rail 
braces  where  the  track  was  likely  to  spread.  This  prac- 
tice is  being  rapidly  discontinued  except  on  switches 
or  on  sharp  curves  such  as  are  found  in  large  terminals. 
Properly  designed  tie  plates  have  been  found  to  hold 
the  track  to  gage  on  curves  better  than  rail  braces. 
They  require  fewer  spikes,  and  also  protect  the  ties  from 
mechanical  wear  and  from  spike  killing.  Those  plates 
which  have  deep  projections  embedded  into  the  tie  hold 
the  track  best  on  curves,  although  it  has  been  claimed 
that  long  flanges  or  prongs  injure  the  tie  and  allow  moist- 
ure to  enter,  and  decay  to  start.  Even  with  flat  bottom- 


Level 
Fig.  7b— Plane  Method  of  Elevating  Outer  Rail  on  Curves. 

ed  plates,  the  resistance  to  widening  of  gage  is  more 
than  double  that  of  a  single  spike,  as  the  plate  cannot 
move  without  cutting  into  or  bending  both  the  inside  and 
outside  spikes. 

To  develop  the  value  of  rail  braces  it  is  necessary  to 
put  one  on  each  tie  against  the  outside  of  each  rail.  A 
brace  on  but  one  side  of  a  tie  is  sometimes  useless  if  the 
tie  moves  easily  in  the  ballast,  allowing  all  of  the  strain 
to  come  on  the  single  outside  spike  on  the  opposite  end 
of  the  tie.  Tie  plates  of  course  should  also  be  put  under 
both  rails  on  the  same  tie  in  order  to  obtain  the  max- 
imum gage-holding  power. 


59 


CHAPTER  IV. 
CONSTRUCTING  TRACK   ON  A  NEW   LINE. 

Material  Yard — A  well  laid  out  and  carefully  oper- 
ated material  yard  in  charge  of  an  experienced  track 
foreman  is  a  great  factor  in  rapid  and  economical  track- 
laying.  The  loading  of  the  proper  materials  on  the 
swing  train  which  supplies  the  construction  train  at 
the  front,  is  of  the  greatest  importance.  The  man  in 
charge  of  the  material  yard  should  have  had  previous 
experience  in  track  laying,  otherwise  he  will  not  al- 
ways realize  the  exact  materials  or  amount  of  materials 
that  are  needed  at  the  various  points  along  the  line.  By 
study  of  the  profiles  and  maps,  an  experienced  man  can 
arrange  the  special  material,  such  as  curved  rails, 
switches,  etc.,  on  the  swing  trains  so  as  to  have  them 
come  exactly  where  they  are  needed. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  material  yard 
for  the  construction  of  a  long  line  be  located  so  as  to 
facilitate  unloading  and  loading.  Several  material  yards 
may  be  needed  in  order  to  carry  on  the  work  in  the  best 
manner  and  the  various  yards  should  be  laid  out  in  ad- 
vance so  as  to  best  fit  the  needs  of  the  sections  each 
is  to  supply. 

The  following  points  should  be  considered  in  laying 
out  a  material  yard :  (1)  The  amount  of  main  line  track 
for  which  material  must  be  handled;  (2)  the  speed  of 
track  laying  desired  ;  (3)  the  number  of  cars  to  be  handled 
daily — both  those  going  to  the  front  and  those  coming 
in  to  keep  up  the  supply  in  the  material  yard.  Much  de- 
pends on  the  location  and  nature  of  the  ground.  The 

(10 


CONSTRUCTING  TRACK   ON   A   NEW   LINE 

location  should  preferably  be  on  ground  with  good  nat- 
ural drainage.  A  location  should  be  chosen  where  very 
little  grading  will  be  necessary.  Small  ditches  should  be 
dug  at  the  ends  of  the  ties  to  provide  track  drainage  and 
the  material  dug  out  can  be  thrown  in  the  middle  of  the 
track  and  used  to  bring  up  the  short  sags  or  low  spots. 
There  is  little  objection  to  the  track  running  over  little 
raises  of  ground  and  no  great  amount  of  work  should 
be  spent  in  surfacing.  In  general  it  will  be  found  best 
to  locate  the  yards  so  that  the  switches  for  entering  and 
leaving  are  at  the  end  opposite  to  the  direction  of  track 
laying.  At  least  one  track  should  be  connected  at  both 
ends  with  the  main  line.  The  dirt  from  the  drainage 
ditches  can  be  used  to  surface  the  track  sufficiently  to 
prevent  surface  bending  the  rails.  The  track  should  be 
of  a  temporary  character  using  only  about  12  ties  per 
rail  length  unless  the  rail  is  very  light  weight. 

Arrangement  of  Yard — The  exact  disposition  of  the 
material  in  the  yard  is  governed  largely  by  the  local 
conditions  and  methods  of  track  laying  to  be  used.  To 
avoid  delay  in  loading,  a  systematic  order  should  be 
preserved  so  that  materials  which  are  to  be  used  simul- 
taneously on  the  work  will  not  be  widely  separated  in 
the  yard.  For  instance,  rails  and  rail  fastenings  should 
be  piled  close  together  for  if  the  cars  of  rails  are  to 
be  "trimmed"  the  fastenings  should  be  placed  so  as  to 
be  accessible  when  the  train  is  pulled  ahead  after  load- 
ing instead  of  having  to  back  up  or  back  in  on  another 
track.  In  unloading  materials  when  stocking  the  yard, 
much  can  be  done  toward  aiding  quick  loading  of  the 
swing  train  by  careful  placing  and  piling. 

Alleys  5  ft.  wide  should  be  left  between  every  alternate 
pile  of  ties  to  provide  room  for  water  barrels  for  fire 

61 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


protection.  A  3-ft.  alley  will  be  sufficient  between  all 
other  piles.  The  ties  may  be  stacked  25  high  at  the  end 
where  racked  up,  sloping  the  pile  toward  -  the  car  to 
give  a  footing  for  the  men  unloading  and  piling. 

The  foundation  for  a  pile  of  rails  should  be  solid 
enough  to  prevent  the  pik  from  sagging  and  bending  the 
stringer  or  skid  rails.  The  piles  of  rails  should  be  as 
wide  as  the  standard  rail  length  used,  so  that  full  length 
rails  may  be  used  for  stringers  or  skids.  It  is  perhaps 
unnecessary  to  say  that  rails  should  be  handled  with 
a  derrick,  both  in  unloading  and  loading. 


Piling 

7                                         Telephone.  A  Telegraph  Poles 

^  ^xe'f/ifK           Paih 

5; 

t                                       T/es 

^^"lalh  ancl  Spite           Rab 

R 

7« 

^^  Swikh  Ties 

7*. 

^^T>#ikii  Material     Or  Tool  House 

^ 

T                                          T,es 

^^^^"~~      Miscellaneous   Material 
*•               IntertocHno       ,Tant  ,       I  1  *-lengfh  J50C 

^— 

.,                                     Bridge  Timber  a,  T,ee 

(J- 


Fig.    8—  Plan   of  Material   Yard. 


Angle  bars,  spikes,  bolts,  etc.,  should  be  placed  on  a 
cribwork  of  ties  with  a  floor  of  ties  or  plank  about  2  ft. 
above  the  track.  This  arrangement  will  prevent  the 
rapid  rusting  which  is  likely  to  occur  if  this  material 
is  placed  on  the  ground,  and  the  kegs  of  spikes  and  bolts 
are  not  likely  to  be  broken  in  handling.  This  arrange- 
ment also  greatly  facilitates  the  reloading  of  this  ma- 
terial on  the  swing  train.  Track  fastenings  should  be 
placed  at  the  down-grade  end  of  the  rail  pile,  if  the 
yard  is  on  a  grade,  to  facilitate  the  moving  of  cars  by 
the  use  of  pinch  bars,  when  loaded  with  rail  and  ready 
to  be  trimmed. 

The  suggested  material  yard  layout,  Fig.  8,  will  af- 
ford place  for  rails,  ties,  spikes,  bolts,  angle  bars,  switch 
material,  crossing  plank,  piling,  bridge  timber,  steel  gir- 

63 


CONSTRUCTING  TRACK   ON  A   NEW   LINE 

ders,  truss  spans,  tank  material,  telegraph  and  telephone 
poles  and  all  miscellaneous  material  necessary  for  the 
construction  of  100  miles  of  road  through  a  prairie 
country.  The  plan  can  be  further  developed  by  the  ad- 
dition of  a  ladder  track  at  the  end  of  the  stubs,  or  it  may 
be  curtailed  by  reducing  the  length  of  the  yard.  If  the 
full  ladder  is  not  used,  at  least  one  track,  preferably 
No.  3,  should  be  connected  with  the  main  line  at  both 
ends.  The  idea  of  connecting  track  No.  2  with  No.  3 
is  to  provide  a  run-around  track.  The  centers  between 
tracks  are  only  13  ft.,  affording  a  good  opportunity  for 
transferring  material  from  one  car  to  another  if  occasion 
arises. 

Passing  Tracks — In  order  to  keep  supplies  near  the 
front  it  is  always  well  to  build  side  tracks  at  intervals 
as  the  work  advances,  for  use  in  passing  trains  and  also 
for  the  use  of  the  outfit  cars.  On  pages  132,  133,  134  and 
135  are  outlined  methods  of  building  such  side-track 
turnouts  without  using  either  frog  or  switch  points. 
These  turnouts  are  not  only  very  easy  to  install  and  re- 
quire practically  no  switch  material,  but  are  safer  and 
more  easily  taken  up  than  permanent  turnouts. 

Boarding  Camp — A  boarding  camp  should  be  provided 
when  laying  track  on  a  new  line  as  the  boarding  accom- 
modations are  bound  to  be  very  poor  or  entirely  lack- 
ing. Bunk  cars  should  be  provided  in  such  numbers 
that  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  more  than  8  or  at  the 
most  12  men  to  sleep  in  one  car  and  steel  bunks  should 
be  provided,  as  well  as  other  appliances  for  the  comfort 
and  convenience  of  the  men.  A  roomy  kitchen  car  should 
be  provided  and  enough  dining  cars  to  seat  comfort- 
ably the  largest  number  of  men  which  is  likely  to  be 
employed  on  the  work.  A  tool  car,  office  and  supply 

63 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


car,  fuel  car  and  tank  car  are  usually  needed  to  make 
the  outfit  complete.  A  special  car  for  blacksmith  work, 
or  a  small  portable  forge  outfit  should  be  provided,  which 
can  be  kept  in  the  tool  or  supply  car.  The  tool  car  should 
have  both  side  and  end  doors. 

When  moving  the  camp  to  the  front,  the  outfit  cars 
should  be  placed  at  the  head  of  the  construction  train 
and  extreme  care  should  be  taken  to  prevent  any  unnec- 
essary shocks,  which  will  result  in  breaking  dishes,  etc., 
and  a  general  shaking  up  of  the  entire  outfit. 

When  the  side  track  nearest  the  front  is  reached,  the 
outfit  cars  should  be  set  out,  and  the  work  train  should 
proceed  to  the  front  with  the  track  material  which  was 
brought  in  the  same  train.  The  boarding  camp  should 
be  kept  as  near  the  work  as  possible — laying  temporary 
turnouts  or  spurring  the  cars  out  without  using  switches 
— in  order  that  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  ride  a  long  dis- 
tance to  meals. 

Material  Trains — The  construction  train  usually  car- 
ries enough  material  for  a  half  day's  work;  15  cars  can 
usually  carry  enough  for  one  mile  of  track,  including 
5  cars  of  rails  and  fastenings,  8  cars  of  ties,  and  one  car 
of  miscellaneous  material  such  as  crossing  plank,  cattle 
guards,  etc.  Swing  trains  are  required  after  the  work 
has  progressed  far  enough  from  the  material  yards  to 
make  the  run  too  long  for  the  construction  train.  The 
swing  train  runs  the  loaded  cars  in  on  the  siding,  where 
the  construction  train  crew  picks  them  up.  -The  swing 
train  then  picks  up  the  empties  previously  left  on  the 
main  line  by  the  construction  train,  and  returns  to  the 
material  yard. 

The  above  discussion  assumes  that  the  bridges  and 
trestles  have  been  built  before  tracklaying  begins.  Large 

64 


CONSTRUCTING  TRACK  ON   A   NEW   LINE 

bridges,  in  any  case,  are  built  as  the  work  progresses  and 
the  construction  train  hauls  the  bridge  material  to  the 
site. 

Methods  of  Track  Laying — In  building  a  new  line  the 
material  must  be  forwarded  over  the  track  which  is 
under  construction.  There  are  four  general  methods 
which  may  be  used  in  constructing  a  new  track,  viz. ;  (1) 
An  ordinary  dumpy  handled  by  the  men ;  (2)  rail  car,  and 
wagons  with  teams  to  distribute  ties  on  the  grade ;  (3)  an 
ordinary  flat  car  and  rail  dollies,  with  teams  to  haul  and 
distribute  ties ;  (4)  a  track-laying  machine. 

(1)  Laying  Track  with  a  Rail  Car — When  it  is  only 
necessary  to  lay  a  short  piece  of  track,  say  less  than  a 
mile,  an  iron  car  may  not  be  available,  in  which  case  an 
ordinary  dump  car  must  be  used.  When  carrying  both, 
ties  and  rails,  just  enough  ties  should  be  taken  in  a  load 
to  quarter  or  third  tie  the  track.  Eight  or  ten  rails  can  be 
carried,  and  they  should  be  placed  4  or  5  on  each  side  of 
the  car  as  near  the  edge  as  possible.  The  ties  should  be 
loaded  on  top  of  the  rails,  and  the  car  pushed  ahead  by 
the  men. 

When  the  car  reaches  the  front,  the  laborers  should 
first  distribute  all  the  ties  ahead,  spacing  them  by  eye. 
It  is  better  to  make  the  spacing  for  the  first  rails  rather 
wide,  so  that  there  will  be  plenty  of  ties  to  reach  as 
far  as  the  rails  will  extend.  Angle  bars,  spikes,  and 
bolts,  in  sufficient  quantity,  can  be  carried  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  dumpy  between  the  rails.  The  angle  bars 
are  hung  and  the  rails  heeled  in  when  set  up.  If  the  foot- 
ing is  good,  the  rail  gang  should  pick  up  the  rail  bodily, 
step  back  from  the  ties,  and  carry  it  ahead.  In  general, 
spiking  is  not  necessary  ahead  of  the  car,  the  rail  laying 
gage  at  the  end  being  sufficient  to  hold  the  track  for  the 

65 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


passage  of  the  car.  The  spikers  should,  however,  follow 
the  car  as  closely  as  possible  so  that  there  will  be  no  de- 
railments on  the  return  trip. 

(2)  Use  of  Rail  Car,  With  Teams  Hauling  Ties— The 
method  of  carrying  both  ties  and  rails  on  the  steel  car 
is  seldom  used  where  continuous  track  laying  is  in  prog- 
ress, it  being  quicker  and  cheaper  to  distribute  the  ties 
by  teams.  Good  judgment  is  required  when  distributing 
ties  in  this  manner.  To  unload  the  ties  in  such  quan- 
tities that  the  teams  can  get  them  to  place  on  the  grade 
with  the  shortest  possible  haul  requires  careful  planning 
and  ceaseless  supervision.  Many  problems  are  caused  by 
rough  country,  streams,  etc.  The  wagon  boxes  are  usu- 
ally removed  and  the  ties  loaded  directly  on  the  wagon 
sills.  This  places  the  load  lower,  lessens  the  likelihood 
of  tipping,  and  makes  it  possible  to  turn  the  empty  wagon 
around  on  a  very  narrow  grade.  Difficulties  are  caused 
by  long  high  fills  and  deep  narrow  cuts.  All  these  condi- 
tions must  be  met  by  the  foreman  by  building  temporary 
tie  bridges  over  streams  or  gullies,  by  making  detours, 
and  in  some  cases  by  only  partially  tieing  ahead  and  full 
tieing  after  the  track  has  been  laid.  On  long  high  fills  or 
in  narrow  cuts,  the  ties  may  be  unloaded  and  piled  length- 
wise along  the  sides,  leaving  the  center  for  the  use  of 
teams;  or  the  ties  may  be  distributed  and  spaced  across 
the  grade  beginning  at  the  far  end  of  the  cut  or  embank- 
ment. 

The  rail  car  should  be  light  and  strong,  and  have  wide 
flanged  wheels.  Two  or  three  rail  cars  must  be  used  where 
rushing  the  work,  the  loaded  cars  passing  the  empties  by 
tipping  the  latter  up  on  edge  at  one  side  of  the  track.  A 
temporary  portable  turntable  has  also  been  used  for  pass- 
ing rail  cars. 

66 


CONSTRUCTING  TRACK   ON   A   NEW   LINE 

The  steel  gang  should  always  be  kept  at  the  front  in 
order  that  the  work  may  proceed  rapidly ;  if  two  or  more 
cars  are  used  these  men  should  not  have  to  do  more  than 
push  the  empty  car  back  a  short  distance  to  meet  the 
loaded  one.  As  very  few  spiked  ties  are  required  to  hold 
the  track  to  gage  for  a  rail  car,  the  use  of  bridle  rods  is 
hardly  justified. 

(3)  Use  of  Engine  and  Flat  Car  With  Tie  Teams— This 
method  is  not  generally  used  where  there  is  a  long 
stretch  of  track  to  lay,  but  with  a  good  organization, 
rapid  progress  can  be  made  in  laying  short  stretches  of 
track.  The  ties  are  distributed  by  teams  as  in  the  method 
mentioned  above. 

Two  flat  cars  of  rails  may  be  taken  out  at  one  time,  if 
a  half  dozen  rail  dollies  are  available.  The  rail  is  picked 
up  and  placed  on  the  dollies,  one  of  which  is  at  the  head 
end  of  the  car,  and  the  rail  is  run  ahead.  The  steel  gang 
grabs  the  rail  as  it  runs  forward,  and  walks  ahead,  the 
heelers  taking  the  end  of  the  rail  as  it  leaves  the  car. 
The  rail  is  then  heeled  in.  When  all  the  rails  on  the  first 
car  have  been  laid,  the  dollies  are  placed  in  a  line  on  the 
empty  car,  with  several  on  the  loaded  car,  and  the  rails 
are  dollied  across  the  empty  car.  Consequently  more 
men  are  required  when  working  from  the  second  car. 

The  strap  hangers,  spikers,  and  the  rest  of  the  gang 
are  organized  the  same  as  for  a  track  laying  machine 
(described  below),  or  a  rail  car. 

Hurley  Track  Layer. — The  Hurley  Track  Laying  Ma- 
chine is  made  up  as  follows:  The  pioneer  car,  8  cars  of 
ties,  and  4  or  5  cars  of  steel.  The  power  for  moving 
the  train  is  furnished  by  the  machine  itself,  no  locomo- 
tive being  required  during  the  process  of  laying  track. 

67 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


One  of  the  engines  on  the  pioneer  car  is  connected  by 
gears  to  the  axles,  the  engine  being  low  geared,  and 
the  machine  keeps  up  a  steady  movement  without  stop- 
ping, as  long  as  the  rails  are  being  laid.  The  speed  of 
the  machine  is  adjusted  to  keep  pace  with  the  men,  or 
rather  it  sets  the  pace  for  the  men. 

Dead  rollers  are  placed  on  the  car  floor  on  each  side, 


Fig.   9 — Hurley  Track  Laying  Machine. 

the  ties  being  piled  on  longitudinal  stringers,  7  or  8  in. 
above  the  floor,  leaving  space  for  the  rails  to  pass  under 
them.  When  starting  on  a  new  train  load  of  material, 
rails  from  the  first  car  are  rolled  into  the  rollers  one 
at  a  time.  The  first  rail  is  shoved  ahead  or  pulled  ahead 
by  cables,  a  second  rail  is  placed  on  the  rollers,  and 
the  angle  bars  are  put  on  loosely  with  one  bolt  in  each 
rail.  The  two  rails  are  then  pulled  ahead,  a  third  one 
bolted  up,  etc.,  until  the  string  of  rails  reaches  the  pioneer 

68 


CONSTRUCTING  TRACK   ON  A   NEW  LINE 

car.  Here  the  rails  are  run  between  two  compression 
rollers,  operated  by  the  engine,  which  pull  the  two  strings 
of  rails  ahead.  The  rail  men  supply  rails  constantly. 
Angle  bars  and  bolts  are  loaded  on  the  ends  of  each 
car  of  rails. 

The  ties  are  rolled  down  onto  the  rail,  starting  with 
the  car  immediately  behind  the  engine,  the  ties  being 
spaced  by  eye.  Thus  the  rails  provide  the  means  for 
moving  material  to  the  front,  including  ties,  angle  bars, 
bolts  and  nut  locks. 

The  ties  are  carried  along  by  the  rails  until  the  pioneer 
car  is  reached;  here  they  are  caught  by  an  endless 
chain  and  conveyed  up  over  the  top  of  the  trusses  (which 
project  40  to  45  ft.).  The  ties  are  dropped  in  place  one 
by  one  on  the  subgrade  ahead  of  the  rails.  At  the  front 
of  the  machine  the  rails  are  uncoupled,  leaving  a  pair 
of  splices  at  the  head  end  of  each.  The  rails  are  then 
gripped  near  the  middle  by  a  pair  of  tongs,  lowered 
to  the  ties  by  steam  hoists,  and  heeled  into  place  by  2  or 
3  men.  The  bottom  of  the  trusses  is  8  ft.  above  the 
grade.  The  track  is  usually  held  to  gage  by  bridle  rods 
until  the  machine  passes,  and  all  spiking  is  done  in  the 
rear.  The  flat  cars  must  be  prepared  for  use  by  plac- 
ing rollers  at  each  corner. 

The  material  train  changes  the  empty  cars  out  for  a 
new  train  during  the  dinner  hour.  The  machine  being 
geared  low,  does  not  start  hard  or  become  stalled  as 
easily  as  if  dependent  on  locomotive  power,  but  a  loco- 
motive is  necessary  on  very  steep  grades.  The  organiza- 
tion of  the  force  ahead  and  on  the  machine  is  about  as 
follows : 

69 


PRACTICAL   TRACK   WORK 


8  men  connecting  rails  on  the  rear  car. 

7  men  on  the  tie  car  rolling  the  ties  onto  the  moving  rails  (in- 
cludes the  tie  fiddler). 

2  men  at  the  rear  of  the  machine  keeping  ties  straight  as  they 
start  up  the  incline. 

1  man  inside  of  the  machine  taking  the  bolts  out  of  the  angle 
bars. 

1  man  on  the  platform  in  the  truss  applying  tongs  to  the  rails. 

2  strappers. 
1  heeler. 

1  man  with  a  bar  throwing  the  rails  to  line. 

1  man  taking  the  tongs  off  the  rails. 
5  bridle-rod  men. 

2  men  spacing  the  ties  in  front  of  the'machine. 
1  man  ahead  of  the  machine  with  the  tie  line. 

32  laborers. 
1  assistant  foreman. 
1  foreman. 

The  tie  men  ahead  of  the  machine  use  tie  tongs  to 
line  and  space  the  ties,  which  require  but  little  moving 
after  being  dropped  on  the  grade.  The  rails  are  lifted 
onto  the  dollies  by  a  small  hand-power  crane  which  is 
set  up  in  the  stake  pockets;  this  hoist  is  operated  by 
two  men,  the  rails  being  dropped  on  the  dollies  without 
any  lifting  by  hand. 

The  Roberts  Machine — The  following  description  of 
a  Roberts  track  laying  machine,  written  by  Charles  L. 
Van  Auken,  applies  when  carrying  material  for  one  mile 
of  track. 

The  train  carrying  the  machine  is  made  up  as  follows, 
beginning  with  the  "pioneer  car,"  which  always  remains 
at  the  front.  Immediately  behind  that  are  5  cars  of  rails, 
then  the  locomotive,  8  cars  of  ties,  a  car  of  tie  plates 
when  they  are  used,  the  "trailer,"  which  is  a  car  carrying 
spike,  bolts  and  base  plates,  a  car  of  plank  for  crossings,  a 
car  of  cattle  guards,  a  tool  car  and  a  way  car.  This  makes 
20  cars  and  all  are  flats  except  the  two  last  mentioned. 
(SEE  Fig.  10.) 

70 


CONSTRUCTING  TRACK   ON   A   NEW   LINE 

The  first  car  of  rail  behind  the  pioneer  is  "trimmed," 
loaded  with  angle  bars  enough  to  lay  the  amount  of  steel 
carried  on  the  train.  The  angle  bars  are  carried  forward 
over  the  pioneer  car  and  delivered  as  needed  to  the  "strap 
hangers"  in  front.  The  rails  beneath  the  angle  bars  are 
the  last  ones  laid  from  the  train ;  the  angle  bars  will, 
therefore,  be  cleaned  off  by  the  time  these  rails  are 
needed.  The  car  next  to  the  locomotive  carries  short 
lengths  of  rail,  used  to  prevent  joints  from  coming  close 
to  ends  of  bridges,  etc. 


Fig.  10 — Roberts  Track  Laying  Machine. 

A  system  of  trams,  one  on  each  side  of  the  train,  is 
used  to  carry  the  ties  and  rails  to  the  front.  The  trams 
are  made  in  sections,  each  33  ft.  long,  the  sides  consist- 
ing of  2^x10  in.  planks.  The  tie  trams  are  14  in.  wide, 
and  rail  trams  are  12  in.  wide,  and  they  are  held  together 
by  bolts  on  which  are  pipe  separators.  Near  the  bottom 
are  live  rollers,  which  complete  trough-shaped  ways  for 
ties  and  rails. 

A  20-hp.  upright  engine,  installed  on  the  pioneer  car, 
drives  the  live  rollers  in  the  trams  by  means  of  a  tumbling 
shaft  and  gear  or  cog  wheels.  Steam  for  the  stationary 
engine  is  piped  from  the  locomotive.  The  shaft  is  fitted 

71 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


with  "patent  couplings,"  on  one  end  of  each  section  of 
which  there  is  a  casting  containing  a  square  socket  into 
which  the  end  of  the  next  rod  fits.  Each  length  has  a 
section  of  the  shaft  bolted  to  it,  and  as  the  trams  are 
hung  the  rods  are  fitted  together,  thus  forming  a  con- 
tinuous shaft.  The  trams  are  "hung"  on  iron  brackets 
or  trusses  which  hook  into  the  stake  pockets  on  the 
cars.  The  trusses  on  which  the  trams  are  placed  are 
made  with  flanged  rollers,  thus  taking  care  of  the  slack 
of  the  train  in  starting  and  stopping.  The  trams  have 
a  coupling  device  which  holds  them  together,  the  ones 
on  the  pioneer  being  permanently  fastened. 

The  tie  trams,  660  ft.  long,  are  operated  on  the  right 
side  of  the  train,  while  those  for  the  rail,  240  ft.  long, 
are  on  the  left.  The  movement  of  the  ties  and  rails  is 
controlled  by  the  "dinky  skinner,"  i.  e.  the  stationary 
engineer,  so  as  to  deliver  them  in  front  of  the  train  as 
needed.  A  tie  chute  53  ft.  long  provided  with  dead 
rollers  is  attached  at  the  front  end  of  the  tram  on  the 
pioneer,  and  through  this  chute  the  ties  are  pushed  by 
the  ones  coming  forward  over  the  live  rollers.  As  fast 
as  they  are  delivered  at  the  end  of  the  chute  they  are 
taken  by  the  "tie  buckers"  and  placed  across  the  grade 
ready  for  the  rails. 

A  similar  chute  attached  to  the  rail  tram  provides  a 
way  for  delivering  the  rails  in  front  of  the  pioneer. 
These  chutes  are  supported  at  the  outer  ends  by  cables 
attached  to  the  rear  end  of  the  pioneer  car,  and  carried 
up  over  a  high  frame  work  or  "gallows"  at  the  front 
end.  A  boom,  also  attached  to  the  front  end  of  the  pio- 
neer car,  extends  far  enough  ahead  to  have  the  cable  at- 
tached to  it  reach  the  middle  of  the  rail  when  placing  it 
in  position  in  the  track.  This  cable  is  operated  by  hand 

72 


CONSTRUCTING  TRACK   ON   A   NEW  LINE 

with  an  ordinary  crab.  Instead  of  cranks,  a  small  light 
buggy  wheel  is  used  by  the  operator  to  wind  up  the 
cable,  which  lifts  the  rail  and  holds  it  while  the  "heeler" 
and  his  assistants  place  it  in  position.  (A  newer  device 
handles  the  cable  with  compressed  air.)  The  rails  are 
placed  in  the  trams  by  three  men,  and  are  handled  in  front 
by  four  men.  One  man  on  each  car  places  the  ties  in  the 
trams.  The  spikes,  bolts  and  base  plates  are  peddled 
from  the  trailer  as  the  train  proceeds. 

The  rails  are  held  to  gage  by  bridle  rods  until  the 
.train  passes  over,  all  spiking  being  done  in  the  rear.  The 
train  moves  ahead  one  rail  length  at  a  time,  when  laying 
square  joints,  and  half  a  rail  length  when  laying  broken 
joints.  The  trams  are  taken  down  when  the  cars  are 
empty  and  replaced  on  the  loaded  cars  when  a  new  train 
arrives;  100  to  125  men  are  required  for  a  full  crew. 
Under  ordinary  conditions  a  mile  of  track  is  laid  in  from 
three  to  four  hours.  The  force  ahead  and  on  the  ma- 
chine is  organized  about  as  follows : 

ORGANIZATION  OF  FORCES. 

Tie    buckers 10      Angle  bar  peddler 1 

Tie   spacers 2      Bolt  peddler 1 

Tie   fiddler 1      Rail  men  on  cars 6 

Rail   buckers 8      Tie  men  on  cars 6 

Strappers  2      Bridle  man    1 

Bridle  men «*...   2  — • 

Line    man 1  42 

Tie  line  man 1 

The  force  back  of  the  machine  is  organized  as  spikers 
and  bolters.  Track  must  be  kept  one-third  to  one-quar- 
ter spiked,  close  up  to  the  machine,  to  provide  for  the 
return  of  the  empty  train.  One  locomotive  is  required 
with  the  machine,  and  sometimes  more  than  one  on 
ascending  grades. 

Cost  of  Track  Laying  with  a  Roberts  Machine — The 

73 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


author  and  Charles  L.  Van  Auken  contributed  an  article 
to  Engineering  and  Contracting  giving  the  cost  of  laying 
42  miles  of  track  during  1913,  from  which  the  following 
is  extracted : 

TABULATION  OF  COSTS. 

Overhead  charge  on  machine  (interest  at  6%,  deprecia- 
tion at  10%)  estimated $      100.00 

Dinky  skinner,    2  1/6  months  at  $100 210.00 

Timekeeper,  2  1/6  months  at  $85 177.00 

Locomotive  and  crew,  65  days  at  $40 2,600.00 

Supervision  and  labor 8,710.00 


Gross  total $11,797.00 

Force  account,  or  extras  allowed ,         280.50 


Net    total $11,516.50 

Average  net  cost  per  mile 271.64 

The  rail  used  was  33  ft.,  90  Ib.  rail  laid  square  joints 
on  tangents  and  broken  joints  on  curves.  When  a  curve 
was  reached  a  rail  was  cut  to  break  the  joints,  the  cut 
being  figured  so  that  if  the  short  part  was  used  on  the 
inside  of  the  curve  at  the  start,  the  long  part  would 
square  up  joints  when  used  at  the  point  of  tangent  on  the 
outside  rail  of  the  curve.  The  specifications  stipulated 
that  joints  must  not  be  laid  within  4  ft.  of  the  ends  of 
bridges  and  culverts.  To  avoid  cutting  rails  to  meet  this 
condition,  fractional  steel  (short  rails)  was  loaded  on  the 
"trimmed"  car  and  when  approaching  a  bridge  the  dis- 
tance was  measured,  and  if  found  necessary  a  panel  or 
more  of  short  length  rails  was  used  to  bring  the  joints 
the  desired  distance  from  the  end  of  the  bridge.  In 
laying  through  yards  where  sidings  were  located,  the 
main  line  was  laid  through  regardless  of  the  switches, 
and  when  the  switches  were  put  in,  they  were  laid  as  near 
to  the  engineer's  location  as  possible  without  cutting  the 
main  line  rail.  The  fractional  steel,  a  certain  amount  of 
which  is  sent  with  every  large  order  for  rail,  was  laid 

74 


CONSTRUCTING  TRACK  ON  A   NEW  LINE 

between  the  switches  on  the  main  lines  through  the  sta- 
tion grounds.  As  a  rule  the  sidings  were  all  laid  with  re- 
lieved rail,  the  work  being  done  by  hand. 

The  rail  was  laid  on  white  oak  ties,  spaced  18  to  21 
under  a  33  ft.  rail  on  tangent,  and  19  to  22  per  33  ft.  on 
curves.  The  joints  were  ordinary  four-bolt  angle  bars 
with  spring  nut  locks.  The  heads  of  the  bolts  were 
staggered,  i.  e.,  bolts  were  put  in  with  the  heads  alter- 
nately on  the  inside  and  outside  of  the  rail.  The  num- 
ber of  ties  per  rail  length  was  varied,  18  broad-faced  ties 
being  used,  or  21  narrow-faced  ties,  on  tangents. 

The  scarcity  of  costs  on  track  laying  make  definite  com- 
parisons impossible.  The  cost  of  laying  track,  with  an 
iron  car  on  the  Erie  R.  R.,  in  1905  and  1906,  was  pub- 
lished in  an  article  by  H.  C.  Landon,  in  the  Erie  R.  R. 
Employes  Magazine.  The  cost  was  said  to  be  $200  per 
mile.  The  cost  of  labor  and  supervision  was  as  follows, 
for  a  gang  of  60  men : 

1  foreman  at,  per  day .' $  4.00 

2  assistant  foremen  at,  per   day 3.00 

Locomotive  and  crew  at,  per  day 40.00 

61  men  at,  per  day 1.50 

1  water  boy  at,  per  day 1.25 

The  average  cost  of  labor  in  the  1913  work  described 
herein  was  58%  above  that  of  the  1905  work;  while  the 
cost  of  track  laying  in  the  1913  work  was  only  40%  above 
that  given  for  1905.  It  is  probable  that  the  steel  laid  in 
1905  was  a  much  smaller  section,  and  that  soft  ties  spaced 
at  wider  intervals  were  used.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  with 
the  present  average  of  railway  company  labor,  it  would 
be  impossible  to  lay  track  for  less  than  $350  per  mile, 
and  the  cost  is  at  least  $400  in  most  cases. 

The  Harris  Track  Layer— The  Harris  Track  Layer 
consists  of  a  narrow-gage  track  in  the  middle  of  the  flat 

75 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


cars  on  which  the  rails  are  loaded.  This  track  rests 
on  timbers  about  7  ft.  apart,  with  a  rollway  between  for 
transporting  the  track  rails  to  the  pioneer  car.  The  ties 
are  run  out  to  the  front  on  a  tram  car.  Short  sections 
of  rails,  fitted  at  the  end  with  self  locking  clamps,  are 
used  between  flat  cars.  These  rails  are  dropped  in  place 
when  ready  to  lay  track. 

The  rail  cars  are  placed  next  to  the  pioneer  car,  and 
rails  are  loaded  in  two  piles,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
car  just  outside  the  narrow-gage  track.  The  track  and 
rail  dollies  extend  about  20  ft.  ahead  of  the  pioneer  car, 
being  supported  by  cables  running  over  a  gallows  frame 
near  the  front  of  the  car.  The  cross  stringers  protrude 
a  foot  or  so  over  the  edge  of  the  cars,  and  support  a 
plank  runway  on  either  side,  which  is  clear  of  all  ma- 
terial, and  which  is  provided  for  the  men  loading  ties  and 
for  the  men  pushing  the  tie  car. 

The  narrow-gage  tie  car  used  to  move  the"  ties  ahead 
has  high  wheels  with  the  car  frame  also  mounted  high 
so  that  the  ties  will  clear  the  rails  which  are  piled  on 
either  side.  A  tie  loading  trestle  is  used  upon  which  the 
ties  are  loaded  while  the  tie  car  is  being  pushed  ahead 
with  a  load.  The  car  when  brought  back  empty  is  run 
under  the  tie  loading  trestle,  and  the  car  automatically 
trips  the  load  onto  the  car  frame,  and  the  men  then 
start  forward  again. 

The  tram-car  body  is  built  in  two  parts,  the  upper 
sliding  on  the  lower.  On  reaching  the  end  of  the  track 
the  car  runs  against  a  timber  stop,  the  upper  frame 
slides  forward  on  the  lower  for  a  distance  of  about  30  in., 
thus  overbalancing  the  load,  tipping  the  frame  forward, 
and  dropping  the  ties  across  the  road  bed.  A  "trestle 
dolly"  mounted  on  a  frame  work  about  4  ft.  high,  is  used 

76 


CONSTRUCTING    TRACK    ON    A    NEW    LINE 


ahead  of  the  machine  to  roll  the  rails  forward  on  after 
they  leave  the  pioneer  car. 

Four  men  load  the  tie  loader,  and  3  or  4  men  push  the 
car.  The  usual  method  is  to  have  the  same  men  at  the 
front  distribute  both  rails  and  ties.  A  locomotive  moves 
the  machine  ahead  after  each  rail  (or  pair  of  rails)  has 
been  set  up.  The  other  work  and  organization  around 
the  machine  is  similar  to  that  described  previously. 


Fig.  11 — Drummond  Track  Laying  Machine. 

Drummond  Track  Layer — The  Union  Pacific  R.  R. 
has  used  a  DVummond  Track  Layer  for  laying  new  track, 
the  process  being  described  and  illustrated  in  one  of  the 
instruction  papers  issued  by  the  Educational  Bureau  of 
that  road.  The  train  is  usually  made  up  of  the  pioneer 
car,  three  rail  cars,  seven  tie  cars,  a  locomotive,  and  a 
car  of  trimmings  including  spikes,  bolts,  nuts,  nut  locks 
and  tie  plates.  An  illustration  of  this  track  laying  ma- 
chine is  shown  in  Fig.  11. 

77 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


Ties  are  carried  ahead  by  small  tie  cars,  running  on  a 
narrow-gage  track  which  is  supported  on  stringers  pro- 
jecting out  beyond  the  right-hand  side  of  the  cars.  A 
switch  on  the  pioneer  car  allows  the  loaded  tie  cars  to 
pass  the  empties.  The  track  is  extended  20  or  25  ft. 
ahead  of  the  pioneer  car  and  supported  by  cables  swung 
from  a  frame  bent.  Rails  are  pulled  ahead  on  dollies  on 
the  opposite  sides  of  the  cars,  the  dollies  being  outside 
the  edge  and  supported  on  the  protruding  stringers. 
The  men  are  distributed  as  shown  in  the  table. 

ORGANIZATION  ON  DRUMMOND  TRACK  LAYER. 

4  men  loading  tie  cars. 

5  men  pushing  tie  cars  to  front. 
10  men  laying  and  spacing  ties. 

2  men   lining  ties. 
2  men  placing  rails  on  dollies, 
12  men  handling  rails  with  tongs; 

1  handy  man. 

6  men  distributing  spikes,  bolts,  nut  locks,  and  tie  plates. 

2  men  spacing  ties  behind  the  machine, 
12  spikers. 

6  nippers. 

2  liners. 

2  water  carriers. 

66 

*Track-laying  with  an  Improvised  Pioneer  Car — Some 
time  ago  I  was  employed  to  take  charge  of  the  track- 
laying  on  a  48-mile  extension  of  an  electric  interurban 
railroad.  I  took  charge  after  approximately  seven  miles 
had  been  laid.  The  work  had  been  started  by  using  two 
"iron  cars"  to  carry  the  rails  forward,  but  that  method 
proved  to  be  slow  and  expensive. 

There  being  no  track-laying  machine  available,  a  "Pio- 
neer" car  was  improvised  as  follows :  The  forward  truck 

^Contributed  by  S.  J.  Evans. 

78 


CONSTRUCTING   TRACK   ON    A    NEW    LINE 

and  draft  gear  of  a  36-ft.  wood-frame  flat  car  was  re- 
moved ;  one  of  the  "iron  cars"  was  placed  under  the  for- 
ward end  of  the  car  in  place  of  the  truck,  the  forward  end 
being  thus  lowered  so  as  to  make  an  incline  of  16  in.  in 
36  ft. 

Upon  the  "deadwood"  of  the  flat  car  there  was  belted 
the  V-frame  work  of  a  stationary  roller.  This  roller  was 
2  ft.  in  length  and  4  in.  in  diameter,  having  a  ZV2  in. 


Fig.   12 — Improvised  Pioneer  Car. 

flange  on  each  end.  The  top  of  this  roller  projected  above 
the  floor  of  the  car. 

To  the  floor  of  the  car  the  framework  of  three  other 
stationary  rollers  were  securely  bolted,  12  ft.  apart.  These 
rollers  were  14  in.  in  length,  4  in.  .diameter,  with  2^-in. 
flanges.  The  centers  of  all  four  rollers  were  lined  to  the 
center  of  the  pioneer  car. 

The  rail  cars  were  placed  immediately  behind  the 
pioneer  car,  and  upon  each  car  three  movable  rollers  were 
used.  Under  the  forward  end  of  the  pioneer  car,  a  strong 

79 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


box  constructed  of  3-in.  plank  was  hung.  The  bottom  of 
this  box  was  from  a  plank  3  x  12  x  10  in.,  against  which 
were  spiked  pieces  3  x  8  x  10  in.,  which  made  the  sides ; 
two  pieces  3  x  8  x  18  in.  were  spiked  against  the  ends. 
This  made  a  box  5  in.  deep,  12  in.  wide,  and  10  ft.  long. 
This  box  was  hung  under  the  car  just  far  enough  to  clear 
the  rear  end  of  a  rail  when  it  was  dropped  upon  the  ties. 
The  front  strappers  carried  their  bolts,  nut  locks,  and 
shims  in  this  box,  or  as  they  called  it,  the  "pig  trough." 

Upon  the  pioneer  car,  ranged  along  the  edges  (long- 
itudinally) was  carried  the  "front"  or  forward  supply  of 
spikes,  bolts  and  nutlocks.  This  stock  was  replenished 
each  time  the  construction  train  left  to  return  to  the 
material  yards. 

The  spike,  bolts  and  nutlocks  were  unloaded  from  a 
supply  car  located  immediately  behind  the  auxiliary  water 
tank.  This  car  was  unloaded  while  laying  rail,  and  the 
pioneer  car  was  spotted  in  front  of  the  fastenings  for 
loading  when  the  material  train  left  to  return  to  the 
material  yard.  The  front  strappers  and  other  men  who 
were  handling  the  front  material  loaded  it  upon  the 
pioneer  car  after  the  train  had  left. 

The  "line  up"  of  the  train  consisted  of  nine  material 
cars,  locomotive  and  tank,  auxiliary  water  tank,  supply 
car  (carrying  spikes,  bolts,  nutlocks,  angle  bars,  the  sur- 
plus and  broken  tools)  and  five  carloads  of  ties. 

The  ties  were  unloaded  from  one  side  of  the  train  and 
hauled  ahead  of  the  pioneer  car  by  wagons,  the  "skinner" 
or  teamster  unloading  the  ties  hauled  by  his  team,  each 
team  alternately  hauling  27  and  28  ties  on  tangents,  and 
30  and  31  on  curves.  Two  wagonloads  gave  a  sufficient 
number  to  lay  half  of  the  ties  needed  between  100-ft. 
stations ;  the  balance  of  the  ties  needed  for  full-tieing  the 

80 


CONSTRUCTING   TRACK    ON    A    NEW    LINE 

track  was  unloaded  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  cars  to 
be  placed  under  the  rails  later  on.  We  were  very' careful 
in  unloading  the  ties.  As  each  team  approached  the 
train,  the  exact  amount  of  ties  needed  to  load  the  wagon 
was  thrown  from  the  cars,  thus  eliminating  unnecessary 
hauling  from  far  behind  the  train.  (I  have  seen  whole 
carloads  unloaded  in  one  pile  and  teams  hauling  from  a 
distance  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  end  of  the 
track.) 

As  we  were  laying  the  rails  broken  joints,  the  back 
ties  were  unloaded  alternately,  four  and  five  ties  each 
time  the  train  stopped  to  lay  a  rail.  An  assistant  fore- 
man was  in  charge  of  the  tie  unloading  gang  and  called 
to  them  at  each  step  the  number  of  ties  required.  By 
using  this  method  we  did  not  have  a  surplus  in  one  place 
and  a  shortage  in  another. 

Any  one  who  has  had  much  experience  in  tracklaying* 
will  agree  with  me  that  more  often  than  otherwise,  when 
track  is  laid  with  just  half  the  ties  required,  later  on 
when  a  train  is  sent  out  to  distribute  what  ties  are  neces- 
sary to  full  tie,  they  will  not  make  an  even  distribution. 
Much  of  this  train's  time  and  the  time  of  the  distribut- 
ing gang  will  be  used  in  picking  up  the  surplus  ties  and 
in  filling-in  where  ties  are  missing.  This  we  avoided; 
in  fact,  in  using  the  method  described  we  had  no  picking 
up  of  ties  to  do.  In  one  stretch  of  six  miles  we  had  a 
surplus  of  but  four  ties  and  none  missing. 

Nine  teams  and  wagons  were  used  in  hauling  ties 
ahead  of  the  Pioneer  car.  The  drivers  did  the  unloading. 
We  did  not  allow  them  to  bunch  the  ties,  but  had  them 
stop  seven  times  between  each  100-ft.  station,  unloading 
four  ties  at  each  stop,  except  that  when  a  wagon  had 
but  27  ties  upon  it,  only  three  ties  would  be  left  to  unload 

81 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


at  the  last  stop.  A  gang  of  four  men  loaded  the  ties  upon 
the  wagons. 

At  the  front  an  assistant  foreman  and  five  men  placed 
the  ties  on  grade.  They  used  a  tie  line  about  300-ft. 
long  and  a  spacing  board  33-ft.  in  length.  The  board 
was  1x4  in.,  with  a  hole  bored  in  the  forward  end  for 
a  short  piece  of  rope  to  be  passed  through  and  tied  so 
that  it  could  be  pulled  forward.  The  board  was  marked, 
with  a  saw,  44  in.  apart  for  laying  ties  on  tangent.  For 
ties  on  curves,  notches  39^2  in.  apart  were  cut  with  an  axe 
to  distinguish  them  from  the  target  markings.  (The 
track  was  only  half-tied  ahead  of  the  rail.) 

The  crown  of  the  embankments  was  rounded  off  from 
the  center,  making  an  uneven  beaming  for  the  ties,  so  a 
team  attached  to  a  disc  plow  was  employed  in  loosening 
up  the  top  of  the  embankment  ahead  of  the  tie-placing 
gang.  It  was  found  that  this  gave  the  ties  a  uniform 
bearing  for  their  length,  after  the  construction  train  had 
passed  over.  This  method  proved  advantageous  as  it 
kept  the  skeleton  track  in  fairly  good  line  until  ballasted. 

No  spiking  was  done  ahead  of  the  construction  train. 
Three  bridle  bars,  constructed  from  J/£  by  3^4  bar  irons, 
were  attached  to  each  rail.  The  rails  were  held  to  place 
by  a  spike  being  dropped  into  a  square  hole  which  had 
been  punched  in  the  bridle  rods  flush  with  the  inner 
flanges  of  the  rails.  The  rail  on  the  line  side  of  the  track 
was  lined  to  the  middle  marks  on  the  ties ;  the  bridle  bars 
were  attached  to  it  while  the  gage  rail  was  being  strapped, 
it  was  forced  into  the  clutch  of  the  bridle  bars  and  the 
spikes  dropped  into  place. 

The  ties  were  laid  to  support  the  joints,  which  made, 
when  full  tied,  an  even  spacing  of  twenty-two  inches  on 
tangents  and  approximately  19^4  inches  on  curves. 

83 


CONSTRUCTING    TRACK    ON    A    NEW    LINE 

When  the  Pioneer  car  was  first  put  into  use,  the  angle 
bars  were  carried  from  behind  the  engine  and  the  bridle 
bars  from  behind  the  train ;  eight  men  were  engaged  in 
transporting  these  bars.  Often  delays  would  occur  be- 
cause of  the  men  being  unable  to  keep  material  ahead. 
At  this  time  we  were  using  10  teams  in  the  tie  service 
and  often  the  teams  would  be  hauling  ties  a  half  a  mile 
ahead  of  the  Pioneer  car.  I  considered  any  haul  of  over 
half  a  mile  useless  expenditure,  so  one  team  was  taken 
out  of  the  tie  service  and  put  to  hauling  the  bridle  and 
angle  bars.  These  were  loaded  and  unloaded  by  the 
teamster  and  one  man ;  they  placed  a  bridle  bar  between 
every  third  tie,  and  a  pair  of  angle  bars,  alternately,  be- 
tween the  fourth  and  fifth  ties  (only  alternate  ties  having 
been  laid).  This  made  a  saving  of  10  per  cent  in  the  tie 
hauling  and  63^4  per  cent  in  the  transportation  of  the 
bridle  and  angle  bars ;  no  delays  occurred  after  the  team 
was  transferred  from  tie-hauling  to  transporting  bridle 
and  angle  bars. 

The  organization  of  the  track-laying  force  consisted  of 
one  general  foreman,  three  foremen,  three  assistant  fore- 
men, one  timekeeper,  eleven  teamsters  with  teams,  and 
ninety-three  trackmen,  including  three  water  carriers. 

This  force  was  distributed  as  follows: 
THE  FRONT  GANG. 

1  General  Foreman — All  foremen  and  assistant  foremen  report- 
ing direct  to  him. 

1  Timekeeper. 

1  Team  Foreman — In  charge  of  all  teams  and  team  work. 

1  Teamster  and  a  four-horse  team,  discing. 

9  Teamsters — With  two-horse  teams,  hauling  ties. 

1  Teamster — With  two-horse  team,  distributing  bridle  bars  and 
angle  bars. 

1  Trackman — Helping  teamster  to  distribute  angle  and  bridle 
bars, 

83 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


1  Assistant  Foreman — In  charge  of  gang  placing  ties  on  grade. 
5  Men — Placing  ties  to  tie-line  on  grade. 

1  Man — Fiddling  ties. 

2  Men — Applying  angle  bars  to  forward  end  of  rails. 

1  Assistant  Foreman  (Heeler) — In  charge  of  rail  gang  and  front 

strappers. 

2  Men — Strapping. 

2  Men — Applying  bridle  bars. 

2  Men — With  lining  bars  throwing  rail  to  fiddle  marks  on  line 

side  of  ties,  and  moving  gage  rail  to  place  in  bridle  bars. 

12  Men — With  rail  tongs,  catching  rails  as  they  come  down  the 

incline,  and  placing  them  in  track;  8  men  on  the  forward 

end  and  4  men  on  the  rear  end. 

2  Men — Incline  men  on  Pioneer  car.     Holding  rails  on  car  in 

readiness  for  the  signal  from  the  assistant  to  "shoot  it." 
1  Man — With  rail  fork  "breaking-down"  on  rail  cars. 
8  Men — On  rail  cars  lifting  rails  onto  the  rollers  and  leading 

the  rails  to  the  incline  of  the  Pioneer  car. 
1  Man — On  supply  car,  dropping  to  the  ground  at  the  end  of 

the  ties,  at  each  stop,  the  required  amount  of  bolts  and 

spikes  for  half  a  rail  length;  also  placing  angle  bars  on 

the  outer  edge  of  car  to  load  wagons. 
1  Assistant    Foreman — In   charge   of   the   men   unloading   ties 

from  cars  and  loading  wagons  with  ties. 

3  Men — In  car,  unloading  ties  from  cars  and  loading  wagons 

with  ties. 

3  Men — Unloading  ties  on  opposite  sides  of  cars  for  full  tieing 

track  behind  the  construction  train. 

4  Men — On  the  ground,  loading  ties  on  the  wagon. 

THE  BACK  GANG. 

1  Foreman — In  charge  of  the  back  gang. 

2  Men — Strappers,  tightening  and  full  bolting. 

1  Man — With  lining  bar  throwing-in  rail  on  gage  side  to  re- 

lease bridle  bars. 

2  Men — Releasing  bridle  bars  and  piling  them  on  side  of  the 

embankment  to  be  in  readiness  to  load  on  wagon. 
1  Man — Rail  fiddler,  marking  tie-spacing  on  base  of  rail. 
4  Men — With  two  light  track  jacks  spacing  ties  to  marks  on 

rail  base. 

84 


CONSTRUCTING   TRACK   ON   A    NEW    LINE 


2  Men — Placing  spikes  on  ties  ahead  of  the  spikers. 

12  Men — Spiking,  6  men  on  line  side,  6  men  on  gage   side. 

6  Men — Nippers,  3  men  on  line  side,  3  men  on  gage  side. 

1  Man — With  a  lining  bar  moving  gage  rail  for  head  gage 
spikers. 

1  Man — With  light  push  car  gathering  miscellaneous  ma- 
terial. 

1  Foreman — In   charge   of  lining   gang. 

9  Men — Lining,_  5  men  throwing  track  to  center  stakes,  fore- 
man and  4  men  bringing  track  to  line  between  the  stakes; 
this  gang  also  picked  up  the  very  bad  depressions  in  the 
track  surface. 

3  Water  carriers. 

While  not  striving  to  make  a  record,  we  laid  4,600  track 
feet  of  70-lb.  rail,  half  tied,  in  two  hours  and  fifty  min- 
utes. We  began  laying  at  8  :15  a.  m.,  and  all  the  rails  on 
the  cars  were  unloaded  and  laid  at  11 :05  a.  m. 

We  had  but  one  engine  while  laying  the  first  25  miles 
of  this  extension,  therefore  we  were  only  able  to  lay  rails 
in  the  forenoon  of  each  day.  In  the  afternoon  we  laid  the 
ties  in  full,  and  part  of  the  gang  was  employed  in  picking 
up  depressions  in  the  track  surface.  When  a  second 
engine  was  put  into  the  track-laying  service,  and  we  were 
able  to  lay  rail  throughout  the  day,  as  much  as  9,450  track 
feet  of  rail  were  laid  in  a  day. 

An  additional  gang  of  40  men,  one  foreman  and  one 
assistant  foreman,  was  employed  to  full  tie  the  track,  this 
force  being  distributed  as  follows: 

1  Foreman — In   charge   of   the    spiking. 

1  Assistant  Foreman — In  charge  of  the  tie  gang. 

18  Men — Carrying  ties  up  the  embankment  and  placing  them 
under  the  rails,  four  track  jacks  being  used  to  raise  the 
rails  so  the  ties  could  be  inserted. 

12  Men — Spiking,  6  on  the  line  side  and  6  on  the  gage  side. 
6  Men — Nipping,  3  on  the  line  side  and  3  on  the  gage  side. 

2  Men — Peddling  spikes. 

85 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


2  Men — With  wooden  mauls  spacing  ties  squarely  with  the 
rail  and  centering  the  ties  to  the  marks  on  the  base  of 
the  rails. 

Use  of  Derrick  for  Laying  Track — In  the  Union  Pa- 
cific instruction  paper  mentioned  above,  a  method  of 
track  laying  is  described  which  is  somewhat  as  follows: 
The  train  consists  of  one  car  of  rails  (trimmed),  a  der- 
rick, a  car  containing  switch  material,  bolts,  spikes,  nut 
locks,  etc.,  a  locomotive,  a  car  of  tie  plates,  3  or  4  cars 
of  ties  and  a  tool  car.  The  derrick  rail  unloader  is  oper- 
ated by  compressed  air  from  the  engine  and  it  unloads 
the  rail  alongside  the  rail  car.  The  rails  are  carried  ahead 
by  16  to  20  men  using  rail  tongs.  Bridle  rods  are  gen- 
erally used,  and  spiking  is  done  in  the  rear.  Teams  de- 
liver enough  ties  ahead  to  hold  up  the  track. 

The  Work  in  Detail — The  work  done  by  the  various 
members  of  a  rail  gang  is  given  below,  the  men  being 
located  as  shown  in  Fig.  13. 

(1)  Tie  Fiddler — Marks  on  each  tie  the  proper  posi- 
tion for  the  outside  of  rail  base. 

(2)  Tie  spacers — Move  ties  to  proper  spacing. 

(3)  Gage  man — Places  track-laying  gage  on  extreme 
ends  of  rails. 

(4)  Steel  gang — Carries  rails  to  place  and  sets  them 
up  in  track. 

(5)  Rail  nipper — Raises  one  rail  if  necessary  to  help 
strappers  get  joint   bolts   started. 

(6)  Strap  hangers — Hang  the  angle  bars  to  receive  the 
rails  being  set  up. 

(7)  Strap  tighteners — Tighten  bolts  behind  strappers. 

(8)  Joint    plate    peddler — Distributes    the   joint    base 
plates. 

86 


(9)  Spike  and  bolt  peddlers — Distrib- 
ute spikes  and  bolts. 

(10)  Tie     plate     peddlers — Distribute 
tie  plates. 

(11)  Gage  liner — Throws  gage  rails  to 
gage. 

(12)  Head     spikers* — Spike     track     to 
gage,  on  4  or  more  ties  to  the  rail  length. 

(13)  Back  spikers — Finish  or  partially 
finish  spiking  the  track. 

(14)  Tie    nippers — Hold    up    ties    for 
spikers. 

(15)  Back   bolters — Finish   joint   bolt- 
ing. 

(16)  Tool  man — Keeps   tools   in   good 
condition,  keeps  track  of  tools,  and  dis- 
tributes them. 

Tie  Fiddler— The  tie  fiddler  places  the 
fiddle  on  the  face  of  the  tie  (on  the  line 
side  of  the  track)  with  the  cleat  securely 
against  the  end,  and  a  mark  is  made  on 
the  tie  along  the  uncleated  end  of  the  fid- 
dle. The  outside  line  spike  should  be  set 
on  this  line  when  spiking.  Before  mark- 
ing a  tie,  the  fiddler  should  examine  it 
and  be  sure  that  the  right  side  is  up.  The 
tie  fiddler  will  generally  be  able  to  run 
ahead  of  the  gang  without  difficulty,  and 
he  should  find,  time  to  set  the  tie  lines, 
also.  For  this  purpose  it  is  handy  to 
have  a  board  of  such  length  that  if  one 
end  is  placed  against  the  center  stake, 
the  opposite  end  will  show  the  proper 
place  to  set  the  tie  line.  The  tie  line  is  a 
87 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


rope  stretched  to  show  where  the  ends  of  the  ties  on  the 
line  side  of  the  track  should  be  placed. 

Tie  Spacers — Behind  the  tie  fiddler  are  two  tie  spacers. 
They  are  usually  provided  with  a  rod  of  the  same  length 
as  the  rail  which  is  to  be  laid,  or  a  wire  rope  cable,  three 
rail  lengths  or  more  long,  having  the  tie  centers  marked 
on  it  with  white  paint.  The  rod  or  wire  is  laid  on  the 
ground  with  the  rear  end  even  with  the  head  of  the  last 
rail  laid,  on  the  line  side  of  the  track.  Tie  tongs  should 
be  used  by  the  tie  spacers  in  dragging  the  ties  to  center, 
and  line.  These  tools  prevent  mutilating  the  tie,  give  a 
firm  grip  and  make  it  possible  to  handle  ties  much  faster 
and  easier.  The  man  on  the  line  side  pulls  the  tie  to  the 
line  previously  stretched,  and  the  man  on  the  gage  side 
places  the  end  so  that  it  lies  square  across  the  grade.  In 
order  to  keep  ahead  of  the  rail  gang  the  tie  spacers  must 
space  ties  for  a  full  rail  length  while  the  steel  gang  is 
setting  up  two  rails ;  four  tie  spacers  are  sometimes 
needed.  Sometimes  it  may  be  necessary  to  dispense  with 
the  spacing  ahead  and  do  it  behind  the  rail  gang  on  ac- 
count of  lack  of  time,  but  this  is  more  difficult.  The 
spacers  should  inspect  all  joint  ties,  and  if  the  latter  are 
deficient  in  size  or  quality,  they  should  be  exchanged  for 
those  of  better  grade.  Ties  should  not  be  pulled  up 
against  the  tie  line,  but  should  be  left  l/4  inch  away,  for 
if  allowed  to  touch  the  line,  some  of  them  will  probably 
throw  a  kink  in  it.  The  tie  line  might  be  stretched  about 
a  foot  above  the  ground,  thus  preventing  the  ties  from 
touching  it. 

Rail  Gang — The  rail  gang  picks  up  the  rail  and  sets 
the  rear  end  on  the  ties,  at  the  same  time  entering  the 
rail  ball  into  the  angle  bars  hung  on  the  rail  previously 
laid.  The  head  end  of  the  rail  is  dropped  at  a  word  from 

88 


CONSTRUCTING   TRACK    ON    A    NEW    LINE 

the  heeler,  and  this  movement  throws  the  rail  into  proper 
position  in  the  angle  bars.  The  heeler  now  gives  the 
command  "heel"  and  the  rail  is  pulled  backward  against 
an  expansion  shim.  In  setting  up  the  line  side,  the  assist- 
ant foreman  should  see  that  the  rail  is  set  as  near  as 
possible  to  its  correct  line  as  shown  by  the  riddled  chalk 
marks  on  the  tie ;  the  gage  rail  should  also  be  placed 
approximately  in  the  correct  position.  It  is  just  as  easy 
to  set  the  rails  in  their  correct  places,  and  if  this  is  done, 
very  few  ties  will  have  to  be  moved  by  the  line  spik- 
ers,  the  work  of  the  gaging  spikers  will  be  reduced  to  a 
minimum,  and  the  track  will  require  but  little  lining.  The 
assistant  foreman  should  carry  a  wooden  rail  square,  and 
test  every  third  or  fourth  joint  to  see  if  either  side  is 
running  ahead. 

Gage  Man — The  gage  man  carries  a  rail  laying  gage, 
which  has  projections  to  engage  both  sides  of  each  rail 
head,  holding  the  rails  from  either  spreading  or  narrow- 
ing. Such  a  gage  can  be  made  from  a  wooden  strip  by 
nailing  two  blocks  across  it  at  each  end  with  space  be- 
tween each  pair  of  blocks  for  the  rail  head.  A  nipper  is 
provided  to  help  set  up  the  rails  and  put  them  in  their 
proper  places  in  the  angle  bars.  He  carries  a  bar  to  raise 
the  angle  bars  or  rails,  as  necessary. 

Strap  Hangers — The  strap  hangers  use  short-handled 
wrenches,  which  are  handier  and  permit  faster  work.  As 
soon  as  the  rail  is  set  up,  the  strapper  hangs  a  pair  of 
angle  bars  on  the  head  end.  As  the  next  rail  is  heeled 
into  place  he  puts  in  one  joint  bolt,  and  after  giving  the 
nut  a  few  rapid  turns,  goes  ahead  and  repeats  the  opera- 
tion. Two  bolt-tighteners  follow  and  turn  up  the  nuts 
which  the  strappers  have  started.  When  the  rail  gang 
is  not  setting  up  rails,  the  strappers  may  work  ahead, 

89 


PRACTICAL   TRACK    WORK 


close  enough  together  so  that  he  (the  foreman)  always 
has  them  under  his  immediate  supervision.  Before 
gaging  the  rails  at  joints,  the  bolts  should  be  tightened 
in  order  to  prevent  bad  gage  or  lips. 

Back  Bolters — The  back  bolters  bolt  the  joints  in  full 
and  turn  up  each  nut  as  tightly  as  possible  with  an  ordi- 
nary track  wrench.  Since  back  bolting  requires  little 
skill  and  only  ordinary  strength  it  is  a  good  place  to  start 
in  green  or  inexperienced  men.  If  pipes  are  used  on 
wrenches  to  give  greater  leverage,  the  bolts  are  likely 
to  be  turned  up  so  tight  that  the  expansion  cannot  run, 
and  sometimes  the  nuts  will  be  twisted  so  hard  that  the 
bolt  will  be  twisted  in  two  and  have  to  be  thrown  away. 

Tool  Man — One  of  the  most  important  men  on  the  gang 
is  the  tool  man.  If  a  good  trustworthy  laborer  is  selected 
for  this  position,  he  may  save  the  foreman  much  trouble. 
He  is  held  accountable  for  the  number  of  tools  on  the 
work  each  day,  and  also  for  the  tools  in  the  boxes.  The 
condition  and  supply  of  tools  is  left  entirely  to  him  and  in 
case  any  are  in  bad  order  it  is  his  business  to  exchange 
them  for  good  tools.  If  necessary  he  must  use  his  own 
ingenuity  in  repairing  those  on  hand  or  "borrowing"  from 
other  gangs.  A  live  tool  man  will  be  on  the  lookout  and 
know  when  new  tools  arrive  on  the  job  and  thus  be  sure 
of  obtaining  his  share.  Although  little  hard  work  is  re- 
quired, a  tool  man  should  be  chosen  who  is  industrious, 
reliable  and  intelligent ;  in  fact  he  should  be  one  of  the 
best  trackmen  in  the  gang. 

Assistant  Foreman — When  setting  up  rail,  the  assistant 
has  charge  of  the  steel  gang,  strappers,  tie  spacers,  and 
the  fiddler.  If  these  men  are  able  to  run  far  ahead  of  the 
spikers,  setting  up  rail  can  be  discontinued  and  the  rail 
gang  organized  into  spikers,  bolters,  etc.  The  assistant 

92 


CONSTRUCTING  TRACK  ON  A  NEW  LINE 

foreman  is  held  responsible  for  proper  expansion  in  the 
track,  and  must  be  careful  to  use  shims  of  the  proper 
thickness.  Proper  expansion  cannot  be  secured  if  the 
rails  are  set  up  loose  and  the  angle  bars  left  off.  It  is 
really  easier  to  hang  the  angle  bars  and  bolt  the  joints 
when  laying,  and  this  method  is  the  only  one  which  will 
insure  correct  expansion. 

Before  setting  up  the  rails  they  should  be  measured 
carefully  with  a  steel  tape  or  wooden  rod,  and  the  longer 
ones  marked.  When  joints  run  behind  on  one  side,  the 
long  rails  should  be  used  on  that  side  until  the  joints 
again  come  to  their  proper  relative  positions.  Thicker 
expansion  shims  should  never  be  used  to  square  up  joints. 
In  laying  track  with  broken  joints,  which  is  the  more 
common  practice  on  both  tangents  and  curves,  the  ques- 
tion of  the  relative  position  of  joints  is  not  so  important, 
though  even  here  it  is  necessary  to  give  the  matter 
careful  attention.  The  Pennsylvania  allows  the  joints  to 
run  8  inches  forward  or  back  from  the  center  of  the  rail 
opposite.  If  matched  or  even  joints  are  not  square  the 
joint  ties  will  be  badly  slewed.  The  rail  square  will  not 
indicate  the  <exact  relative  position  unless  the  rails  are 
nearly  to  line  and  gage.  A  small  kink  on  the  line  side 
may  throw  the  gage  end  of  the  square  an  inch  or  more 
from  the  proper  position. 

Foreman — The  foreman  should  instruct  his  assistant  as 
to  the  proper  expansion  shims  to  use,  and  when  to  change 
to  a  thinner  or  thicker  size.  The  temperature  of  the 
steel  is  what  should  govern  and  not  that  of  the  air.  The 
temperature  of  the  steel  in  general,  lags  below  the  air 
temperature  in  the  morning,  and  is  higher  in  the  after- 
noon. If  a  sub-grade  is  rough  and  uneven,  greater  ex- 
pansion should  be  allowed,  as  the  track  will  shorten  when 

93 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


close  enough  together  so  that  he  (the  foreman)  always 
has  them  under  his  immediate  supervision.  Before 
gaging  the  rails  at  joints,  the  bolts  should  be  tightened 
in  order  to  prevent  bad  gage  or  lips. 

Back  Bolters — The  back  bolters  bolt  the  joints  in  full 
and  turn  up  each  nut  as  tightly  as  possible  with  an  ordi- 
nary track  wrench.  Since  back  bolting  requires  little 
skill  and  only  ordinary  strength  it  is  a  good  place  to  start 
in  green  or  inexperienced  men.  If  pipes  are  used  on 
wrenches  to  give  greater  leverage,  the  bolts  are  likely 
to  be  turned  up  so  tight  that  the  expansion  cannot  run, 
and  sometimes  the  nuts  will  be  twisted  so  hard  that  the 
bolt  will  be  twisted  in  two  and  have  to  be  thrown  away. 

Tool  Man — One  of  the  most  important  men  on  the  gang 
is  the  tool  man.  If  a  good  trustworthy  laborer  is  selected 
for  this  position,  he  may  save  the  foreman  much  trouble. 
He  is  held  accountable  for  the  number  of  tools  on  the 
work  each  day,  and  also  for  the  tools  in  the  boxes.  The 
condition  and  supply  of  tools  is  left  entirely  to  him  and  in 
case  any  are  in  bad  order  it  is  his  business  to  exchange 
them  for  good  tools.  If  necessary  he  must  use  his  own 
ingenuity  in  repairing  those  on  hand  or  "borrowing"  from 
other  gangs.  A  live  tool  man  will  be  on  the  lookout  and 
know  when  new  tools  arrive  on  the  job  and  thus  be  sure 
of  obtaining  his  share.  Although  little  hard  work  is  re- 
quired, a  tool  man  should  be  chosen  who  is  industrious, 
reliable  and  intelligent;  in  fact  he  should  be  one  of  the 
best  trackmen  in  the  gang. 

Assistant  Foreman — When  setting  up  rail,  the  assistant 
has  charge  of  the  steel  gang,  strappers,  tie  spacers,  and 
the  fiddler.  If  these  men  are  able  to  run  far  ahead  of  the 
spikers,  setting  up  rail  can  be  discontinued  and  the  rail 
gang  organized  into  spikers,  bolters,  etc.  The  assistant 


CONSTRUCTING  TRACK  ON  A  NEW  LINE 

foreman  is  held  responsible  for  proper  expansion  in  the 
track,  and  must  be  careful  to  use  shims  of  the  proper 
thickness.  Proper  expansion  cannot  be  secured  if  the 
rails  are  set  up  loose  and  the  angle  bars  left  off.  It  is 
really  easier  to  hang  the  angle  bars  and  bolt  the  joints 
when  laying,  and  this  method  is  the  only  one  which  will 
insure  correct  expansion. 

Before  setting  up  the  rails  they  should  be  measured 
carefully  with  a  steel  tape  or  wooden  rod,  and  the  longer 
ones  marked.  When  joints  run  behind  on  one  side,  the 
long  rails  should  be  used  on  that  side  until  the  joints 
again  come  to  their  proper  relative  positions.  Thicker 
expansion  shims  should  never  be  used  to  square  up  joints. 
In  laying  track  with  broken  joints,  which  is  the  more 
common  practice  on  both  tangents  and  curves,  the  ques- 
tion of  the  relative  position  of  joints  is  not  so  important, 
though  even  here  it  is  necessary  to  give  the  matter 
careful  attention.  The  Pennsylvania  allows  the  joints  to 
run  8  inches  forward  or  back  from  the  center  of  the  rail 
opposite.  If  matched  or  even  joints  are  not  square  the 
joint  ties  will  be  badly  slewed.  The  rail  square  will  not 
indicate  the  exact  relative  position  unless  the  rails  are 
nearly  to  line  and  gage.  A  small  kink  on  the  line  side 
may  throw  the  gage  end  of  the  square  an  inch  or  more 
from  the  proper  position. 

Foreman — The  foreman  should  instruct  his  assistant  as 
to  the  proper  expansion  shims  to  use,  and  when  to  change 
to  a  thinner  or  thicker  size.  The  temperature  of  the 
steel  is  what  should  govern  and  not  that  of  the  air.  The 
temperature  of  the  steel  in  general,  lags  below  the  air 
temperature  in  the  morning,  and  is  higher  in  the  after- 
noon. If  a  sub-grade  is  rough  and  uneven,  greater  ex- 
pansion should  be  allowed,  as  the  track  will  shorten  when 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


brought  up  to  surface.  The  track  laid  during  the  day 
should  be  lined  late  in  the  afternoon  to  prevent  shorten- 
ing, as  that  laid  in  one  day  will  move  ahead  when  the 
short  kinks  are  lined  out ;  if  lining  is  neglected  for  several 
days,  the  weight  of  the  track  becomes  too  great  to  move 
ahead,  and  when  the  kinks  are  straightened  out  the  ex- 
pansion will  be  closed  up,  leaving  tight  track. 

When  laying  rails  from  a  flat  car,  the  layers  of  rails 
below  the  top  are  likely  to  be  far  below  the  temperature 
of  the  air  or  the  top  layer  of  rails.  Constant  attention 
should  therefore  be  paid  to  the  temperature  of  the  steel 
being  laid  in  this  manner. 

In  case  the  number  of  men  is  too  small  to  make  a  well 
rounded  organization  and  produce  finished  track  at  one 
operation,  the  organization  at  the  front  must  be  kept 
complete  at  the  expense  of  the  back  work.  Then  after  a 
number  of  rails  have  been  laid,  the  gang  can  be  broken 
up  and  taken  back  to  finish  up  the  work. 

The  foreman  is  responsible  for  both  the  quantity  and 
quality  of  work  done.  He  must  organize  the  gang,  and 
be  ready  at  any  time  to  make  changes  required  when 
some  of  the  laborers  are  absent.  If  a  number  of  men  leave 
at  the  same  time  and  new  men  are  not  available,  the  whole 
gang  must  be  reorganized.  As  the  assistant  foreman's 
time  is  constantly  taken  up  with  the  rail  gang,  the  fore- 
man must  supervise  the  spiking  and  back  bolting  as  well 
as  inspect  the  work  of  the  assistant  foreman,  as  he  is 
responsible  for  everything  done  by  the  gang. 

Anti  Creepers. — Anti  creepers,  whenever  they  are 
necessary,  should  be  applied  when  laying  track,  as  it  is 
easier  to  prevent  than  to  stop  rail  creeping.  The  anchors 
should  be  of  a  design  which  will  stick  to  the  rails  under 
all  conditions,  and  really  prevent  creeping. 

94 


CONSTRUCTING  TRACK  ON  A  NEW  LINE 

Conclusion — The  methods  of  track  laying  with  the  dif- 
ferent machines  vary  but  little.  The  advantages  of  using 
a  track-laying  machine  are  mainly  economy  and  efficiency 
in  handling  material  and  rapidity  of  track  laying.  A 
saving  of  at  least  $50  per  mile  is  possible  and  in  most 
cases  the  saving  would  be  $100  to  $150  per  mile. 


95 


CHAPTER  V. 
BUILDING  SECOND  TRACK. 

Double  Tracking — Building  a  second  track  or  "double 
tracking"  is  simpler  than  building  a  track  over  a  new 
line,  because  the  new  material  can  be  distributed  from 
the  old  track.  Great  care  should  be  exercised  in  the 
distribution  of  material.  When  unloading  ties,  the  num- 
ber of  rail  lengths  or  telegraph  poles  the  train  covers 
should  be  counted  up,  and  the  train  moved  ahead  the 
same  number  of  rail  lengths  or  telegraph  poles  for  each 
spot.  The  number  of  ties  necessary  for  that  distance 
can  be  figured  out  and  this  number  unloaded  each  time 
the  train  stops.  A  couple  of  extra  ties  should  be  thrown 
off  at  each  spot  to  take  the  places  of  unsound  ones. 

Distributing  for  Second  Track — When  building  a  sec- 
ond track,  that  is,  when  double  tracking,  the  material 
is  usually  distributed  by  a  work  train,  which  neces- 
sarily uses  a  track  on  which  there  is  more  or  less  traf- 
fic. The  material  is  sometimes  distributed  a  long  time  be- 
fore the  track  gangs  get  on  the  work.  In  fact  the  work 
train  is  frequently  taken  off  entirely  before  track  laying 
begins;  then  if  there  is  a  shortage  of  steel  the  track  gang 
will  be  forced  to  transport  rails  by  push  car  until  a  work 
train  can  be  again  secured.  It  is  better  to  have  too  many 
than  too  few  rails  and  ties  as  far  as  the  track  laying  gang 
is  concerned.  However,  surplus  material  must  be  reload- 
ed, which  is  an  unnecessary  expense.  A  shortage  of  ties 
will  temporarily  break  up  the  organization  of  the  track 
gang,  for  if  the  men  are  properly  placed  to  just  handle  the 

96 


BUILDING    SECOND    TRACK 


work  when  the  ties  are  correctly  unloaded,  some  of  the 
men  will  be  overworked  and  others  underworked  when 
there  is  a  shortage;  and  when  fill-in  ties  arrive  after  the 
rail  is  laid,  the  organization  must  be  broken  up  and  men 
taken  back  to  finish  up  the  track.  When  distributing  rails 
on  a  track  under  regular  traffic,  the  work  train  is  fre- 
quently run  to  a  siding  to  let  another  train  pass.  In  these 
intervals  the  gang  should  be  kept  busy  setting  up  the  rails 
end  to  end  on  the  shoulder  of  the  grade.  If  there  is  time 
to  set  up  all  the  rails  in  this  manner,  the  distribution  will 
be  exact,  giving  a  corresponding  advantage  when  laying 
or  relaying  track. 

If  just  enough  rails  and  ties  are  unloaded,  and  yet  they 
are  not  properly  placed,  that  is,  if  they  are  unloaded  in 
bunches,  the  redistribution  must  be  made  with  a  dumpy 
on  the  main  track,  and  one  or  two  men  must  be  taken  out 
of  the  gang  to  act  as  flagmen.  If  the  rail  gang  or  tie 
spacers  must  redistribute  any  material  they  will  be  un- 
able to  keep  ahead  of  the  rest  of  the  gang  and  the  organ- 
Ration  will  again  have  to  be  broken  up  in  order  to  get  a 
full  day's  work  out  of  each  man. 

•  All  of  these  arguments  may  not  be  necessary  to  show 
that  track  material  should  be  properly  distributed.  It  is 
conceded  that  it  should  be,  but  nevertheless  it  is  true  that 
all  too  frequently  track  material  is  poorly  distributed. 
Correct  distribution  from  a  main  track  can  be  obtained 
by  noting  the  standard  length  of  track  rails  and  spotting 
the  material  with  respect  to  the  rail  joints,  and  unloading 
rails,  spikes,  ties,  angle  bars,  etc.,  in  the  proper  propor- 
tion. If  it  is  desired  to  keep  the  train  in  motion  while  dis- 
tributing material,  for  instance  when  distributing  bolts, 
spikes,  angle  bars,  etc.,  an  easier  method  is  to  gage  the  dis- 
tribution by  the  telegraph  poles,  which  are  spaced  at  stand- 

97 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


ard  distances  and  can  be  seen  without  trouble  by  the  men 
on  the  cars. 

Unloading  Rails — Unloading  rails  by  hand,  especially 
from  stock  cars,  is  slow  and  laborious.  This  fact,  as  well 
as  the  danger  of  rails  breaking  in  cold  weather,  has  led  to 
the  development  of  several  ingenious  methods  of  unload- 
ing rails.  When  unloading  from  flats  in  warm  weather 
many  track  men  consider  it  safe  to  shove  the  rails  over 
the  edge  of  the  cars,  using  a  gang  of  2  to  4  men  with  rail 


Fig.   14— Improvised  Rail  Derrick  with  Old  Rails  for  Boom. 

forks,  or  8  to  14  men  with  shovels.  This  method  should 
not  be  used  in  the  winter  time  when  the  rails  are  cold 
and  brittle  and  the  ground  is  frozen  hard.  Under  these 
conditions,  skids,  a  rail  derrick,  or  some  other  means 
should  be  employed. 

Rail  Derrick — For  unloading  heavy  rails  portable  der- 
rick attached  to  the  sides  of  cars  have  been  used.  Six 
men  only  are  required,  and  rails  can  be  unloaded  at  the 
rate  of  one  per  minute.  The  derricks  are  light  and  can 

98 


BUILDING   SECOND    TRACK 


be  easily  transferred  from  car  to  car.  They  are  set  up  in 
the  stake  pockets. 

Air  Unloaders  or  Locomotive  Cranes — Recently  air  un- 
loaders  and  locomotive  cranes,  have  been  used  for  un- 
loading rails  and  good  results  reported.  Several  cranes 
used  with  one  locomotive  and  train  crew  have  made  rec- 
ords both  for  speed  and  low  cost  of  unloading. 

Unloading  Rails  from  Flat  Cars — When  flat  cars  are 
used,  the  rails  are  sometimes  hauled  off  the  rear  over 


Fig.  15— Ingenious  Use  of  Skid  Rails. 

dollies,  using  cables  as  described  below  under  V-frames. 
Mr.  A.  M.  Clough,  in  the  Maintenance  of  Way  Bulletin, 
March,  1913,  described  a  very  ingenious  arrangement  of 
skids  for  unloading  rails  and  also  an  improvised  derrick 
for  loading.  The  derrick  was  built  of  parts  of  an  old 
wrecker  fitted  with  an  extension  boom  of  two  30-ft.  rails. 
(Fig.  14.)  This  machine  takes  care  of  all  rail  loading  and 
unloading  on  the  division.  A  loading  speed  of  4  rails  per 
minute  can  be  attained. 

99 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


Skids — The  skids  for  unloading  fit  into  the  car  pockets 
in  the  ordinary  manner,  and  reach  clear  across  the  ad- 
jacent track.  (Fig.  15.)  The  skid  rails  are  chained  to- 
gether and  the  front  skid  is  chained  to  the  car  ahead  of 
the  one  being  unloaded  in  such  manner  that  the  skids  are 
dragged  along  perpendicular  to  the  car,  when  the  train 
moves.  The  skids  slide  on  the  rail,  and  require  no  atten- 
tion when  the  train  moves.  When  necessary  to  clear  the 
track,  which  is  protected  by  flagmen,  the  skid  rails  are 
uncoupled,  the  car  is  moved  ahead,  and  the  skids  swing 
around  clear. 

To  retard  the  speed  oak  strips  are  bolted  along  the 
sides  of  the  skids  and  are  made  to  project  high  enough  to 
retard  the  rail.  As  the  wood  wears  off,  the  strips  are 
raised  a  little,  the  bolts  being  in  slotted  holes  which  allow 
of  this  adjustment. 

V-Frames — A  V-Frame  is  made  by  bending  a  short  rail 
in  the  shape  of  a  V,  after  removing  about  12  in.  of  the 
web  and  flange  at  the  middle.  The  outer  ends  are  bent 
horizontal  so  they  will  rest  on  the  track  rails,  and  the  V  is 
inverted  and  placed  in  position  on  the  pin  in  the  draw  bar, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  16.  Two  plates  are  riveted  on  the  bases 
of  the  V  rail  to  form  shoes  which  slide  on  the  track  rails. 
The  knuckle  is  removed  from  the  coupling  and  a  round 
pin  with  a  high  head  is  inserted  to  hang  the  V  on.  The 
V-f rame  is  used  for  unloading  out  of  the  end  doors  of  stock 
cars,  or  off  the  ends  of  flat  cars. 

Two  wire  ropes  or  rope  cables  are  provided,  about  20  ft. 
long,  each  having  a  hook  in  one  end  to  insert  in  the  bolt 
hole  of  the  rail,  and  a  loop,  or  preferably  a  clamp,  in  the 
other  end.  The  hooks  are  inserted  in  two  rails,  and  the 
rope  may  be  anchored  by  means  of  bars,  stuck  through 
the  loops  and  driven  into  the  ground  back  of  a  tie,  out- 

100 


BUILDING   SECOND   TRACK 


side  of  the  rail ;  clamps  which  will  catch  the  ball  of  the 
rail  are  much  easier  to  use,  however.  When  the  train 
starts,  the  two  rails  are  dragged  out  of  the  car  toward  the 
opposite  sides  of  the  track.  When  the  end  of  the  rails 
next  the  car  fall,  they  slide  down  the  V-frame  and  outside 


Fig.  16— V-Frame  for  Unloading  Rails  from  Stock  Cars. 

the  track.  The  train  then  stops,  backs  up  a  little,  and  the 
operation  is  repeated.  Two  men  are  required  for  the 
anchor  (lining)  bars,  or  clamps,  6  in  the  car,  and  2 
straightening  up  the  rails. 

Fig.  16-A  shows  a  V-frame  of  a  little  different  type, 
mounted  on  a  dump  car  which  is  coupled  to  the  stock 
car  by  a  long  coupling. 

101 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


Four  cables  may  be  used,  two  of  them  being  33  ft.  longer 
than  the  others.  The  cables  can  then  be  anchored  at  al- 
ternate rail  lengths  and  the  distribution  made  correctly  with- 
out backing  up.  The  train  is  stopped  just  before  the  first 
pair  of  rails  has  fallen,  to  give  time  to  fasten  the  hooks  in 


Fig.  16-A— V-Frame  Mounted  on  Dumpy. 

the  next  pair  of  rails.  The  first  pair  of  rails  will  drop  after 
the  train  starts  again  and  has  moved  3  or  4  ft.  and  the 
other  two  rails  will  be  started  and  dragged  out  25  or  26 
ft.,  at  which  time  the  train  again  stops. 

Placing  Rails — The  advantage  of  accurate  distribu- 
tion of  material  can  hardly  be  overestimated  in  relay- 
ing track.  While  waiting  for  trains,  when  distributing 

102 


BUILDING  SECOND   TRACK 


material,  the  gang  should  be  kept  busy  setting  up  rails  end 
to  end  to  insure  correct  distribution;  and  the  joint  ties  can 
be  distributed  just  where  they  are  likely  to  be  needed,  during 
such  intervals.  The  time  between  trains,  which  otherwise 
would  be  wasted,  is  thus  used  to  place  the  material  so  that 
track  laying  will  be  facilitated. 

Distributing  Ties. — The  tables  given  have  been 
worked  up  to  give  figures  which  can  be  used  in  distribu- 
ting material  by  noting  either  the  telegraph  poles  or  the 
rail  joints,  for  either  30  or  33-ft.  rails.  The  figures  in 
most  cases  have  been  carried  out  only  to  the  nearest 
quarter  keg,  box,  etc.,  so  that  they  can  be  easily  used  by 
men  who  are  not  used  to  handling  fractions. 


TABLE    1:      DISTRIBUTING    TIES    ACCORDING    TO    TELEPHONE 

POLES. 

30-ft.  Rails  33-ft.  Rails 

Telephone          Telephone          Telephone          Telephone 


No.  per  rail 

Poles  150  ft. 

Poles  200  ft. 

Poles  150  ft. 

Poles  200  ft. 

Length 

Apart 

Apart 

Apart 

Apart 

15 

75 

100 





16 

80 

107 

. 

17 

85 

114 

78 

108 

18 

90 

120 

82 

109 

19 

95. 

127 

87 

115 

20 

91 

121 

21 

96 

128 

Table  1  is  for  distributing  ties  for  a  new  track.  It  is 
customary  to  take  out  several'carloads  at  once  and  assign 
several  men  to  each  car.  The  train  is  generally 
moved  about  one  train  length  for  each  spotting.  When 
spotting  according  to  rail  lengths  a  man  may  be  sent 
ahead  to  make  a  chalk  mark  on  the  rail  joints  at  intervals 
which  gives  the  nearest  equivalent  to  the  train  length. 

Distributing  Angle  Bars. — Table  2  gives  the  number  of 
angle  bars  required  per  rail  length,  and  per  telegraph 
pole  whether  located  150  ft.  or  200  ft.  apart.  It  is  some- 

103 


PRACTICAL   TRACK   WORK 


times  easier  to  gage  the  distribution  by  telephone  poles 
than  by  rail  lengths,  but  if  the  rails  have  already  been 
distributed,  the  best  method  is  to  throw  off  four  angle 
bars  and  two  joint  plates,  or  two  joints,  for  each  rail 
length.  It  is  not  necessary  to  distribute  extra  pieces, 
because  these  appliances  are  not  so  easily  lost  as  spikes 
or  bolts. 

Distributing  Track  Bolts.— Table  3,  for  the  distribu- 
tion of  track  bolts,  gives  in  its  various  columns  the  num- 


TABLE  2:     DISTRIBUTING  ANGLE  BARS  OR  JOINTS. 

Per  Per  Telephone  Pole  Per  Telephone  Pole 

Rail  150  Ft.  Apart  200  Ft.  Apart 

Length  30-ft.  Rail    33-ft.  Rail  30-ft.  Rail      33-ft.  Rail 

Angle   bars 4  20                   18*  28                   24** 

Joints    (or  joint 
plates      for 

angle  bars) 2  10                      9f  14                    12tt 

*2  extras  at  every  10th  pole. 

t2  extras  at  every  20th  pole. 
**2  extras  at  every  8th  pole. 
tt2  extras  at  every  16th  pole. 


ber  of  joints  which  one  keg  will  full-bolt  for  either  30 
or  33-ft.  rails,  and  for  either  4-hole  or  6-hole  joints.  For 
instance,  if  4^4-in.  by  1-in.  bolts  are  to  be  used  on 
100-lb.  33-ft.  rails  with  6-hole  angle  bars,  column  2  (below) 
in  the  table  shows  that  there  are  109  bolts  to  the  keg,  and 
column  3,  that  these  will  full-bolt  9  joints,  and  column  4, 
that  they  will  bolt  the  joints  between  2  telephone  poles  150 
ft.  apart,  or  column  5,  \%  telephone  poles  200  ft.  apart. 
In  making  the  distribution  it  is  impossible  to  divide  up 
the  kegs,  so  that  with  telephone  poles  150  ft.  apart,  one 
keg  should  be  thrown  off  at  intervals  of  two  telephone 
poles.  For  telegraph  poles  200  ft.  apart,  one  keg  should 
be  thrown  off  at  every  pole,  and  one  extra  keg  at  every 
fourth  pole.  The  kegs  should  be  rolled  off  the  car  end- 

104 


TABLE  3:     DISTRIBUTING  TRACK  BOLTS. 


4-hoIe  Joints 


-One  Keg  Will 

33-ft.  Rails 


Full. bolt. 

30-ft.  Rails 


•i 

Kind 
in.  x  31/6 

in  

xi 

§ 
w 

s 
T 

'.to 

O  <D 

EM 
255 

"  Joints 
* 

^  Telephone  Poles 
150  Ft.  Apart 

en  Telephone  Poles 
£  200  Ft.  Apart 

5  Telephone  Poles 
^  150  Ft.  Apart 

02 
0) 

?*• 

PH£ 

«& 

§3 

*-J 

ft£ 

fS 

E-I<M 
4% 

% 
I 
1% 

in.  x  4 
in.  x  4 
in.  x  41/4 
in.  x  4% 
in.  x  414 
in.  x  41/2 

in  
in  
in  
in  
in  
in  

237 
168 
162 
141 
119 
114 

39  y2 

21 

2014 

I6y2 

14% 
14 

6% 

5% 
6% 

1* 

3% 

4% 
3% 
3% 
2% 
2  2 
2% 

5% 

4y4 

4 

3y2 

2% 
2% 

j* 

3 
2% 
2% 

1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 

in.  x  4% 
in.  x  5 
in.  x  5^4 
in.  x  5y2 
in.  x  5% 
in.  x  6 
in.  x  G1^ 

in  
in  
in  
in  
in  
in  
in  

109 
106 
103 
100 
98 
94 
91 

13% 
13 

12% 
12% 

12 

11% 

1114 

3% 
3% 

3% 

31/4 

3% 

** 

1* 

2 
2 
2 

1% 
1% 

2% 

21/n 

2% 

2% 

2y4 

2% 

2'/i 

2 
1% 

1% 
1% 

1  * 

1 

in.  x  6V2 

in  

87 

10% 

2% 

1% 

2 

1 

6-hole  Joints— One  Keg  Will  Full-bolt. 

33-ft.  Rails  30-ft.  Rails 


,Q 

S              S 

<P                       0) 

1 

•5              "5^ 

^S        ^ 

§£      §§ 

SH 

gft          g  a 

(Up,                <D  p, 

0> 

(^                        w 

J3    •             J3    ' 

o  .          o   . 

1                                     ™ 

'.ta             e 

§•£      §•£ 

g£       g£ 

o  <u              •£ 

•550           "530 

*^  o           *^  o 

Kind                       £tf             £ 

Hr5                E-lS 

E-iln           E-M 

%  in.  x  31/2  in  255            20 

4%         sy2 

4%             3 

%  in.  x  4      in  237            19% 

4y4         3% 

3%             2% 

7/8  in.  x  4      in  168            14 

3                             2  74. 

2%             2 

%  in.  x  414  in  162            13% 

2%            2 

2%             2 

%  in.  x  4%  in  141             11% 

2y2             1% 

2%             1% 

1      in.  x  414  in  119              9% 

2                 1% 

2                 1% 

1       in.  x  4%  in  114              9% 

2                 1% 

1%             1% 

1      in.  x  43,4  in  109              9 

2            iy4 

1%            lx/4 

1       in.  x  5       in  106              8% 

1%        1% 

1%           1-^4 

1      in.  x  5%  in  103              8% 

1%         1% 

1  %            1  X4 

1      in.  x  5y2  in  100              8*4 

1%        1% 

1%            l1^ 

1       in.  x  5%  in  98              8 

1%         1% 

1%            1 

1       in.  x  6      in  94              7% 

1%         l1^ 

1%            1 

1       in.  x  614  in  91               7% 

1%        1% 

1%            1 

1      in.  x  6%  in  87              7% 

1%         i 

iy±        i 

Sizes  of  Bolts  to  go  with  Plain  Bars  of  the  Following  Sections: 

45  to  67  Ib.                 70  and  75  Ib.                 80  and  85  Ib.                 90  and  100  Ib. 

31/2  x  %  in.                  4  x  %  in.                    4y4  x  %  in.                     5x1  in. 
Sizes  of  Bolts  to  go  with  Patented  Joints: 

45  to  67  Ib.       70  and  75  Ib.       80  and  85  Ib.      90  and  100  Ib. 

Continuous  %  in.  x  3%  in.   %  in.  x  4      in.   %  in.  x  4*4  in.   %  in.  x  4%  in. 

Bonzano     1  in.  x  4^  in.     1  in.  x  4*4  in.     1  in.  x  4y2  in.     1  in.  x  4y2  in. 

Wolhaupter   ....  1  in.  x  4%  in.     1  in.  x  4%  in.     1  in.  x  4%  in.     1  in.  x  4y2  in. 
100  per  cent  1  in.  x  4%  in.     1  in.  x  5      in.     1  in.  x  5*4  in.     1  in.  x  5y2  in. 

Weber    1  in.  x  5%  in.     1  in.  x  6      in.     1  in.  x  6*4  in.     1  in.  x  6y2  in. 

105 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


ways;  if  they  hit  on  the  sides  they  may  run  down  an 
embankment  into  the  ditch. 

Distributing  Nut  Locks — Nut  locks  are  usually  fur- 
nished in  boxes  of  1,000.     Table  4  gives  the  number  of 

TABLE  4:     DISTRIBUTING  LOCK  NUTS. 
Nut  locks — 1,000  in  a  box — one  box  will  furnish  nuts  for 

4-hole  joints— 8  6-hole  joints— 12 

nut  locks  nut  locks 

Tele-          Tele-  Tele-         Tele- 

phone         phone  phone        phone 

Poles  150     Poles  200  Poles  150  Poles  200 

Joints         ft.  Apart     ft.  Apart    Joints    ft.  Apart  ft.  Apart 
33-ft.     rail....         124  27%  20%  83  18%  14% 

30- ft.     rail....         124  25  18%  83  16%  12% 

joints,  measured  by  telegraph  poles,  for  which  one  box 
will  provide  nut  locks,  the  left  half  for  two  4-hole  joints 
requiring  8,  and  the  right  half  for  two  6-hole  joints 
requiring  12.  A  few  nut  locks  are  likely  to  be  lost,  so  it  is 
advisable  to  disregard  the  fractions  (for  instance,  in  col- 
umns 3  and  4,  top  row  of  figures)  and  to  unload  a  box  of 
nut  locks  every  27  telegraph  poles  150  ft.  apart,  or  every 
20  telegraph  poles  200  ft.  apart.  Where  poles  are  only 

TABLE  5:     DISTRIBUTING  TRACK   SPIKES 

One  keg  will  full  spike-rail  lengths 


1 

•o 

<o 

.£ 

1 

h 

g 

g 

g 

1 

s 

l3 

o; 

5asure< 
ider  H 

fl| 

« 

ft 

BO 

ft 
1 

o 

ft 

<u 

ft 

1 

ft 
w 

.2 

ft 

0} 
0> 

e 

ft 

03 

m 

•Slo 

PH          ^1 

in 

oo 

rH 

S 

o 

i-l 

5V2   in. 

x    % 

in... 

300 

75  to  100 

5 

4% 

4V4 

4 

3% 

3% 

3% 

5y2   in. 

x   T9* 

in... 

375 

45  to    75 

6V+ 

5% 

5% 

5 

4% 

4V2 

4% 

5       in. 

X    i9ff 

in... 

400 

40  to    56 

6V2 

6V4 

5% 

5% 

5V4 

5 

4% 

100  ft.  apart,  the  amount  of  track  material  to  be  unloaded 
will  be  one-half  of  that  for  the  200-ft.  spacing. 

Distributing  Track  Spikes — Table  5  gives  the  number 
of  track  spikes,  of  the  sizes  commonly  used,  in  an  aver- 

106 


BUILDING   SECOND    TRACK 


age  keg  of  200  Ib.  The  number  of  rail  lengths  which  one 
keg  will  full-spike  is  shown  in  columns  4  to  10,  inclusive. 

Simultaneous  Distribution — The  cheapest  and  best 
way  to  distribute  the  spikes,  angle  bars  and  base  plates 
or  joints,  bolts  and  nut  locks,  is  to  make-  up  a  train  to  do 
all  this  work  at  once.  It  is  possible  to  make  all  this  dis- 
tribution without  stopping,  with  the  train  traveling  at  a 
speed  of  8  to  10  miles  an~hour. 

Organization  for  Laying  Track — Whenever  time  is 
available,  the  ties  should  be  distributed  on  the  grade,  and 
lined  and  spaced.  After  this  work  is  done  a  track  gang 
of  48  men  could  be  organized  as  follows : 

Tie    fiddler 1      Spikers  12 

Tie  spacers 2  or  4     Tie    nippers 6 

Steel  gang 12      Gage   liner 1 

Gage    man 1      Back    bolters 2 

Rail    nipper 1      Tool   man 1 

Strap   hangers 2      Water  boy 1 

Strap  tighteners 2 

Joint  plate  peddler 1  48 

Spike  and  bolt  peddler 1 

The  assistant  foreman  should  carry  a  light  wooden  rail 
square  and  test  every  third  or  fourth  joint  to  see  if  either 
side  is  running  ahead. 

Lack  of  Men — In  case  there  are  not  enough  men  to  be 
organized  completely  for  all  the  necessary  operations, 
such  work  as  peddling  material,  fiddling  and  lining 
ties  and  hanging  angle  bars  on  rails  can  be  done  before 
starting  to  lay  track.  Spiking  can  be  partially  done  while 
setting  up  the  steel,  and  back  bolting  can  be  done  after 
steel  is  set  up  and  gage-spiked.  Track  should  be  jointed 
up  and  gaged  when  laying,  in  order  to  insure  correct 
expansion.  If  rails  are  set  up  and  the  angle  bars  not  put 
on,  it  is  impossible  to  keep  some  of  the  expansion  shims 
from  falling  out,  and  the  ends  of  rails  are  likely  to  run 

107 


PRACTICAL   TRACK   WORK 


past  each  other  and  necessitate  shifting  a  number  of  them 
when  jointing  up.  Before  gaging,  joints  should  be  thor- 
oughly tightened  in  order  to  prevent  bad  gage  or  lips. 

The  remarks  on  page  94  about  allowing  more  ex- 
pansion on  uneven  grades  and  in  sags,  and  lining  up  track 
each  day,  apply  with  equal  force  to  laying  second  track. 

Setting  Up  Rails — The  rail  gang  men  use  rail  tongs, 
instead  of  handling  with  the  hands  as  in  laying  track  on 
a  new  line.  Usually  the  heeling  in  is  done  with  the  tongs, 
although  the  same  method  may  be  used  which  is  described 
on  page  89.  Rail  tongs  should  be  of  uniform  make, 
with  distance  from  handle  to  rail  hook  the  same,  for  if 
this  is  not  the  case  some  of  the  men  will  carry  an  ex- 
cessive weight,  and  others  practically  none. 

The  rest  of  the  force  is  organized  and  performs  duties 
similar  to  the  detailed  outline  in  Chapter  4.  Before 
spiking  a  tie,  the  nipper  on  the  head  gang  of  spikers 
should  see  that  the  outside  of  the  base  of  rail  is  nearly 
in  line  with  the  riddled  chalk  mark  on  the  ties.  If  it  is 
not  in  line,  he  should  move  the  rail  over  approximately 
to  line  with  his  nipping  bar.  This  point  is  important 
enough  to  bear  repetition  here. 

Tool  Boxes — A  very  handy  way  of  taking  care  of  tools 
and  surplus  material,  in  double  tracking,  is  to  put  the  tool 
boxes  on  a  push  car  or  dumpy,  on  the  track  which  is  being 
built.  The  tool  man  can  shove  the  car  along  as  the  work 
advances.  He  can  take  out  the  shims  and  pick  up  scat- 
tered tools  and  light  track  material,  loading  them  on  the 
car.  In  this  manner  excess  tools  and  materials  are  kept 
conveniently  at  hand  for  emergencies.  The  dumpy  should 
be  securely  locked  to  the  rails  each  night,  using  a  heavy 
chain  and  padlock. 


108 


CHAPTER  VI. 
TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS. 

More  attention  is  required  in  distributing  material 
for  switches  than  for  track,  on  account  of  the  great 
number  of  different  parts,  the  absence  of  any  of  which 
may  seriously  delay  switch  work. 

Size  of  Gang — On  account  of  the  many  small  but  im- 
portant details  which  must  be  attended  to  in  laying 
switches,  this  work  should  in  general  be  placed  in  charge 
of  an  experienced  foreman.  More  careful  supervision  is 
necessary  than  in  any  other  kind  of  track  work,  and  un- 
less good  intelligent  men  are  obtainable  for  assistant 
foremen,  it  is  advisable  to  keep  the  gang  small  enough 
so  that  the  foreman  may  oversee  all  the  work  himself. 

However,  in  laying  ladder  tracks  it  is  possible  to  ad- 
vantageously handle  a  gang  of  40  good  track  laborers 
with  one  good  assistant  and  a  handy  man.  Inexperienced 
foreign  laborers,  must  be  carefully  watched  to  prevent 
them  from  spiking  down  a  switch  point,  setting  a  switch- 
stand  with  the  lever  in  the  wrong  position,  or  doing  other 
work  in  a  manner  which  detracts  from  the  quantity  and 
quality  of  work  accomplished. 

Kind  of  Laborers — There  is  an  advantage  in  working 
foreign  laborers,  if  men  of  some  skill  and  experience 
and  a  good  assistant  of  the  same  nationality  can  be  ob- 
tained, for  foreigners  generally  stay  on  the  job  and  the 
same  men  can  be  depended  upon  from  day  to  day.  When 
working  hobo  labor  it  is  not  uncommon  for  25  per  cent  of 
the  gang  to  quit  the  work  at  one  time,  and  after  a  pay-day 
hardly  any  of  them  can  be  depended  upon.  For  this 

109 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


reason  it  is  practically  impossible  to  always  keep  a  suf- 
ficient number  of  hobos  to  fill  out  the  organization.  It 
is  generally  safe  in  sending  an  order  to  a  labor  agency 
for  this  class  of  men  to  order  at  least  twice  as  many 
as  are  actually  needed,  for  half  of  them  will  drop  off  be- 
fore reaching  the  job  and  by  the  time  a  shipment  arrives 
there  is  likely  to  be  many  more  vacancies  to  be  filled. 

American  labor  is  more  easily  handled  at  points  away 
from  large  towns.  A  gang  of  foreigners  becomes  a  small 
union  in  isolated  places,  and  the  discharge  of  one  man  is 
likely  to  cause  a  strike  of  the  entire  gang.  In  large  cities, 
foreign  laborers  are  more  easily  replaced  and  they  cannot 
employ  the  same  methods. 

Putting  in  Switch  Ties — Four  methods  are  suggested 
for  putting  in  switch  ties:  (1)  Put  in  one  or  two  ties 
at  a  time  as  in  renewing  ordinary  track  ties;  (2)  after 
excavating,  send  out  flagmen,  jack  up  the  rails,  remove  all 
the  old  ties,  and  put  in  the  switch  ties;  (3)  after  exca- 
vating send  out  flagmen,  pull  spikes  on  from  8  to  12  con- 
secutive ties,  jack  up.  the  track,  remove  these  ties  and  re- 
place with  switch  ties ;  (4)  after  excavating  take  out 
every  other  tie,  put  in  half  or  all  the  switch  ties,  spike 
enough  new  ties  to  hold  the  track  to  gage,  then  remove 
the  remaining  old  ties  and  replace  with  the  remaining 
switch  ties. 

Method  No.  4 — The  following  outline  shows  how  the 
work  should  be  arranged  when  putting  in  ties  under 
method  No.  4: 

(1)  Put  out  slow  flags  and  flagmen. 

(2)  Mark  the  switch  point,  the  frog  point,  and  heel 
of  the  frog  on  the  base  or  web  of  the  old  track  rail. 

(3)  Start  stripping  out  the  ballast  at  one  end  of  the 
switch,  and  work  toward  the  other  end. 

no 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

(4)  Mark  off  the  center  for  each  tie  on  the  flange 
of  the  rail,  and,  starting  at  the  point  of  switch,  number 
these  marks  consecutively. 

(5)  Measure  the  ties  and  start  placing  them  in  order 
of  length,  opposite  their  proper  positions  in  the  switch. 
Starting  at  the  head  block,  number  the  ties  consecutively. 

(6)  Start  men  pulling  spikes  from  every  second  tie — 
inside  spike  on  one  rail,  outside  spike  on  the  opposite 
rail.     Raise  the  spikes  on  6  to  8  ties  at  each  end  of 
switch. 

(7)  Starting  at  one  end  of  the  switch,  place  jacks 
and  raise  each  rail,  withdraw  unspiked  ties,  and  put  in 
one-half  or  all  of  the  switch  ties.     Move  jacks  ahead 
and  repeat. 

(8)  Spike  the  rails  to  every  fourth  tie   (temporary 
spiking). 

(9)  Pull  the  spikes  from  remaining  track  ties,  using 
the  same  claw-bar  men. 

(10)  Double  in  behind  claw-bar  men  with  jacks,  re- 
move old  ties  and  space  the  switch  ties  correctly. 

(11)  Surface  and  line  the  track. 

(12)  Fill   in   the   track. 

If  the  track  is  to  remain  as  it  is  for  some  time  without 
putting  in  the  switch,  the  spikes  should  be  driven  home ; 
otherwise  they  may  be  left  loose  enough  to  make  pulling 
easy.  If  only  every  fourth  tie  is  spiked,  they  will  hold 
track  to  gage  and  fair  surface,  and  a  train  may  pass 
at  any  time  at  reduced  speed.  When  the  jacks  are  re- 
moved, the  track  will  again  settle  down  to  the  original 
grade  if  the  stripping  has  been  correctly  done.  Only 
those  ties  should  be  spiked  which  can  be  moved  to  their 
correct  location. 

Before  lifting  the  track  the  spikes  should  be  raised 

ill 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


on  six  or  seven  ties  ahead  of  and  behind  the  switch, 
high  enough  to  prevent  these  ties  being  lifted  off  their 
beds.  If  this  precaution  is  not  taken,  ballast  is  likely  to 
run  under  these  ties  spoiling  the  surface  of  the  track. 

Before  stripping  out  the  ballast  the  location  of  the 
point  of  switch,  the  heel  of  the  frog  and  each  joint  should 
be  marked  on  the  rail,  as  before  mentioned.  The  marks 
of  the  ends  of  the  switch  should  be  given  first,  in  order 
to  show  where  to  start  stripping  out.  The  ballast  should 
be  removed  at  least  6  in.  beyond  the  ends  of  the  ties, 
but  no  ballast  should  be  handled  unnecessarily.  The 
depth  excavated  should  not  be  more  than  J^  in.  or  at 
most  1  in.  below  the  bottom  of  the  tie.  Excavating 
deeper  than  necessary  not  only  wastes  labor,  in  removing 
and  replacing  the  ballast,  but  softens  the  track  founda- 
tion. 

The  full  set  of  switch  ties  should  be  measured  and 
marked  consecutively  according  to  their  lengths  in  feet 
and  inches,  1,  2,  3,  etc.,  from  the  head  block  to  the  end  of 
the  set  and  after  the  ballast  has  been  stripped  out,  the 
switch  ties  should  be  laid  down  at  right  angles  to  the 
track  in  the  exact  order  of  their  lengths,  and  if  possible 
directly  opposite  their  proper  positions.  The  number  of 
each  length  to  be  used  will  usually  be  furnished  the  fore- 
man as  one  of  the  standards  of  the  road ;  otherwise  the 
sets  given  in  the  table  at  the  back  of  the  book  can  be 
used. 

Uniform  spacing  should  be  laid  off  so  that  a  tie  will 
come  at  each  joint  slot,  and  so  that  the  standard  num- 
ber will  come  under  the  lead  rails,  switch  rails  and  frog. 
These  space  marks  should  be  made  on  the  web  or  the 
flange  of  the  rail,  so  they  will  not  be  erased  by  passing 
trains.  The  center  marks  should  be  numbered  consecu- 

113 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

lively,  1,  2,  3,  etc.,  to  correspond  with  the  numbering  of 
the  ties.  No.  1  tie  can  then  be  launched  direc-tly  under 
the  No.  1  mark ;  No.  2,  under  the  No.  2  mark,  etc.,  after 
the  track  is  raised. 

Method  4  for  putting  in  switch  ties  keeps  the  track 
safe  for  trains  at  reduced  speed  if  the  work  is  followed 
out  systematically  from  one  end  of  the  switch  to  the 
other.  By  the  time  the  first  half  of  the  track  ties  are 
removed,  the  spikers  have  enough  switch  ties  spiked  to 
allow  the  jacks  to  be  placed  behind  them  without  delay. 
This  method  is  safer  and  causes  less  delay  to  trains  than 
the  second ;  is  cheaper  than  the  third ;  allows  the  labor- 
ers to  be  organized  into  several  gangs  which  continue 
doing  the  same  kind  of  work,  and  thereby  promotes  ef- 
ficiency. This  method  can  also  be  used  with  a  very 
large  gang  without  the  men  interfering  with  each  other, 
therefore  it  is  a  very  good  method  to  use  where  work 
is  desired  in  a  hurry. 

The  method  of  placing  two  or  three  ties  at  a  time  is 
costly,  the  advantage  being  that  the  track  can  be  kept 
safe  for  trains  at  high  speed. 

A  Typical  Switch — A  switch  consists  of  the  following 
rails,  which  are  given  in  the  order  in  which  they  may 
be  set  up : 

2  guard  rails  marked  (a)  and  (a').    (Fig.  17.) 

1  frog  (b). 

2  connection  pieces  (c  and  c').     [If  the  rail  back  of  b 
will  be  shorter  than  10  ft.,  it  is  customary  to  take  out 
another   standard    length   rail   and   cut   two   connection 
pieces  instead   of  one.] 

2  lead  rails  (d  and  d')-     [These  may  be  shorter  rails, 
or  may  be  the  same  length  as  (e  and  e').] 
2  lead  rails  (e  and  e')- 

113 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


2  switch  rails  (f  and  f'). 

1  stock  rail   (g)   and  1  main  line  rail 

(go- 

2  connection  rails  (h  and  h'). 
Connection  pieces  (i  and  i'). 
Rails  (j  and  j'). 

Rails  (k  and  k'). 

To  put  in  a  switch  on  a  new  track,  or 
where  there  is  no  traffic  to  be  delayed, 
set  up  the  rails,  etc.,  and  bolt  them  to- 
gether in  the  order  a,  b,  c,  d,  e,  f,  g,  h,  i, 
j,  k,  g',  h',  V.  Then  set  up  a',  c',  d', 
e'  and  P.  If  the  switch  is  put  in  under 
traffic  one  side  at  a  time,  set  up  a,  b,  c, 
d,  e,  f,  g  and  h  (for  a  right  hand  turnout), 
throw  these  rails  in,  and  complete  in  the 
order  given  above.  For  a  left  hand  turn- 
out, put  in  under  traffic,  set  up  a',  b',  c', 
d',  e',  P,  g7  and  h',  throw  them  in  and 
complete  in  the  order  i',  j',  k',  g,  h,  i,  and 
then  a,  c,  d,  e,  and  f. 

Laying  Turnouts  in  Main  Line,  Gen- 
eral Method — Turnouts  or  crossovers  can 
be  put  in  without  delaying  traffic,  if  the 
proper  method  is  used.  Even  when  the 
time  available  between  trains  is  only  15 
or  20  minutes,  the  work  can  be  done  with 
a  fairly  intelligent  and  willing  gang, 
without  delaying  regular  trains.  Very 
thorough  and  systematic  preparation  is 
necessary,  however,  in  a  catee  of  this 
kind. 

114 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

The  following  order  of  work  and  general  method 
should  be  used  when  (A)  switch  ties  are  to  be  put  in 
at  the  same  time  and  (B)  rails  must  be  moved  so  that 
joints  will  clear  the  switch  point: 

(1)  Place  out  slow  flag  and  flagmen. 

(2)  Mark  frog  point,  heel  of  frog  and  switch  point. 

(3)  Start  stripping  out  ballast. 

(4)  Mark  off  center  mark  for  each  tie  on  the  flange 
of  the  rail,  and  number  each  mark. 

(5)  Measure  ties  and  start  men  cutting  short  pieces 
of  rail  for  lead  rails,  if  necessary,  and  for  all  connections 
ahead  and  behind  switch. 

(6)  Measure  ties,  number  them  and  start  distributing 
them  opposite  corresponding  marks  on  the  rails. 

(7)  Start   claw-bar  men   pulling   spikes   from   every 
second  tie  on  the  outside  of  one  rail  and  the  inside  of 
the  opposite  rail.     Raise  spikes  on  6  or  8  ties  each  side 
of  the  switch. 

(8)  Starting  at  one  end  of  the  switch,  place  jacks 
under  each  rail,  withdraw  unspiked  ties,  and  throw  in 
every  other  switch  tie,  moving  jacks  ahead  as  necessary. 

(9)  Place  switch  slide  plates  under  both  rails. 

(10)  Start  spikers  spiking  old  rails  to  new  switch  ties 
(temporary  spiking.) 

(11)  Double  back  of  these  spikers  with  claw-bar  men, 
after  they  have  pulled  spikes  on  half  of  the  old  ties,  and 
pull  the  spikes  from  the  remaining  old  ties. 

(12)  Double  back  with  jacks,  after  half  the  old  ties 
have  been  removed  and  replaced  with  switch  ties,  and 
pull  out  the  remainder  of  the  old  ties,  then  put  in  the  rest 
of  the  switch  ties. 

(13)  Space  the  ties. 

(14)  If  rails  must  be  moved  ahead  on  straight  or  main 

115 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


line  side  of  the  switch,  remove  a  rail  ahead  or  behind 
those  within  the  switch;  draw  the  inside  spikes  on  the 
rails,  break  the  joint  back  of  the  string  of  rails  to  be 
moved  and  move  the  rails  away  from  the  spikes ;  place  the 
short  connection  rail  (already  cut)  in  the  track,  and 
launch  the  string  of  rails  against  the  connection.  Put  in 
the  connecting  piece  at  the  opposite  end,  bolt  and  spike 
up  the  rails. 

(15)  Set  and  spike  the  guard  rail  on  straight  side  of 
switch. 

(16)  Set  up  and  bolt  together  the  frog,  connection 
piece  or  pieces,  and  lead  rails,  on  the  ties. 

(17)  Bend  the  stock  rail. 

(18)  Break   the   joint   behind   switch    (and   ahead   if 
necessary),  line  out  old  rail  for  curved  lead,  and  line  in 
new  rails  and  frog. 

(19)  Bolt  the  switch  point  to  lead  rails,  place  slide 
plates,  gage  and  spike  the  rails  safe  for  trains. 

(20)  Set  up   and  bolt  curved  lead  rails  and   switch 
point. 

(21)  Full  spike  the  rails. 

(22)  Put  on  switch  rods. 

(23)  Set  switch  stand. 

(24)  Fill  in  partially. 

(25)  Surface  the  switch. 

(26)  Line  the  switch. 

(27)  Spike-line  the  curved  lead. 

(28)  Fill  in  and  dress  up. 

(29)  Drill  the  cut  rails,  and  bolt  in  full. 

(30)  Clean  and  pile  up  neatly  all  material  which  re- 
mains. 

Explanation  of  Steps  Enumerated  Above — If  lead  rails 
have  to  be  cut,  the  one  for  the  curved  lead  should  be 

116 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

made  longer  than  the  straight  one.  The  difference  in 
lengths  of  the  lead  rails  may  be  obtained  by  dividing 
12  in.  by  the  number  of  the  turnout. 

The  frog,  connecting  piece,  main-track  lead  rails, 
switch  rail  and  stock  rail  are  set  up  in  their  proper  order 
opposite  the  position  they  are  to  occupy.  If  set  up  within 
the  track,  these  rails  should  be  protected  by  riser  blocks. 
Half  the  outside  spikes  are  pulled  from  the  track  rails 
to  be  removed,  the  flagmen  are  sent  out,  the  remain- 
ing outside  spikes  are  pulled,  and  the  first  joint  back  of 
the  frog  point  is  broken.  The  track  rails  are  shoved  over 
to  the  ends  of  the  ties  and  used  for  the  turnout  track. 
The  connected  parts  are  then  slid  in  to  take  the  place  of 
the  old  rails.  All  spikes  must  be  pulled  out  where  the 
switch  rail  and  frog  are  to  lie.  If  a  joint  in  the  track  will 
interfere  with  the  switch  rail,  a  new  stock  rail  and  con- 
necting rails  should  be  set  up  outside  the  track,  and  put 
in  to  replace  the  old  rail  ahead  of  the  switch  at  the  same 
time  the  frog  is  put  in.  Before  spiking,  the  stock  rail 
should  be  bent  in  the  regular  manner. 

In  case  the  rails  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  main  track 
must  be  moved  ahead  or  back  to  make  a  joint  clear  the 
switch  rail,  the  operation  should  be  performed  first  so 
that  the  guard  rail  may  be  set  before  the  frog  is  put  in. 

Before  breaking  track  to  put  in  a  frog,  the  main-line 
guard  rail  should  be  correctly  set  up  and  spiked  in  place 
This  reduces  the  work  to  be  done  when  the  track  is  torn 
up. 

Measurements  for  the  cut  rail  to  be  used  behind  the 
frog  should  be  carefully  taken  with  a  steel  tape  line,  if 
available.  If  a  cloth  tape  line  is  used,  its  length  should 
be  checked  by  comparing  with  several  standard  length 
rails.  The  amount  of  expansion  allowed  for  joints  should 

117 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


be  governed  by  the  expansion  in  the  old  track.  If  the 
track  is  tight,  the  rails  may  run  as  soon  as  the  track  is 
opened  up  and  cause  difficulty  if  the  short  piece  is  figured 
to  make  an  exact  fit.  The  cut  rail  can  be  drilled  before 
breaking  the  track,  and  the  frog  and  short  piece  bolted 
together.  The  joints  must  be  bolted  up  in  full  immedi- 
ately to  prevent  rails  drawing  apart,  in  case  the  track  is 
loose.  The  track  ties  behind  the  frog  should  be  adzed 
to  permit  the  easy  removal  of  the  rail. 

In  placing  the  switch  point,  all  the  spikes  are  removed 
from  that  portion  of  the  track  rail  against  which  the 
switch  rail  is  to  be  placed.  The  joint  at  the  heel  location 
is  broken  and  the  end  of  the  rail  shoved  outward  to  form 
the  stock  rail,  or  the  old  rail  may  be  taken  out  entirely 
and  a  new  rail  used  for  a  stock  rail.  The  rail  bender  or 
jim  crow  is  placed  the  standard  distance  ahead  of  the 
switch  point  and  the  proper  kink  given  the  rail.  The 
switch  rail  is  heeled  up  against  the  main  track  rail,  and 
a  rail  for  the  turnout  side  is  heeled  in  against  the  end 
of  the  stock  rail.  The  angle  bars,  heel  block  and  heel 
plate  are  then  placed.  In  the  meantime  the  slide  plates 
are  placed  on  the  ties.  The  gage  need  only  be  used  at 
the  point  and  heel  of  the  switch  rail.  Switch  points 
should  never  be  tight,  and  to  avoid  this  it  is  advisable  to 
have  the  gage  a  trifle  wide,  say  %  in.  After  safely  spik- 
ing the  switch  rail,  frog  and  connection  piece,  and  having 
previously  set  up  and  spiked  the  guard  rail,  the  track  is 
safe  for  traffic  and  the  flagmen  may  be  called  in. 

The  three  operations  of  moving  the  rails  transversely, 
putting  in  the  frog,  and  putting  in  the  switch  rail  were 
discussed  separately,  but  they  can  be  done  successively 
in  the  order  named,  or  simultaneously,  working  on  all  of 
them  at  the  same  time. 

118 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

It  saves  respiking  and  time  to  put  in  the  slide  plates 
on  the  main  track  side  of  the  switch  when  temporarily 
spiking  the  old  main  line  rails.  A  spike  should  be  driven 
down  about  half  way  on  the  inside  of  each  rail,  beside  the 
tie  plate,  to  keep  the  rail  from  climbing  up  over  the 
risers. 

Slide  plates  are  usually  placed  directly  in  the  center  of 
the  tie  in  which  case  the  tie  will  rock  very  easily  since  all 
spikes  are  in  a  line.  A  much  better  way  to  set  tie  plates, 
is  to  set  one  close  to  one  edge  of  the  tie  and  to  set  the 
plate  on  the  opposite  end  close  to  the  opposite  edge.  This 
arrangement  approaches  the  standard  for  spiking  an  or- 
dinary track  tie  and  reduces  the  likelihood  of  rocking. 
The  No.  1  slide  plates  should  have  holes  drilled  in  them 
through  which  the  point  may  be  spiked  closed  when  de- 
sired. 

The  curved  lead  switch  point  and  lead  rails  can  be  put 
in  place  without  breaking  the  main  track,  and  no  flag 
protection  is  necessary.  For  safety,  switch  rods  should 
be  put  on  as  soon  as  the  switch  rails  are  both  in.  When 
moving  rails  out  from  under  the  spikes  the  shoulder  on 
the  tie  should  be  adzed  off  to  facilitate  the  easy  removal 
and  replacement  of  rails. 

To  set  a  switch  stand  on  main  line  the  following 
method  should  be  used :  Spike  the  No.  1  switch  plates  in 
place  on  both  rails,  leaving  the  track  a  little  wide  at  the 
points,  but  not  to  exceed  y%  in.,  and  spike  the  switch  rail 
closed  for  the  side  track;  connect  up  the  stand,  connect- 
ing rod,  and  No.  1  switch  rod;  place  the  switch  stand 
parallel  with  the  track,  with  the  handle  in  a  position 
corresponding  to  that  of  the  closed  switch  point ;  hold 
the  switch  stand  with  a  bar  and  spike  it  down  so  that 
there  is  no  lost  motion  on  the  closed-switch-point  side; 

119 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


remove  the  spike  from  the  switch  point,  raise  the  handle 
of  the  switch  stand  and,  using  a  bar,  throw  the  switch 
rails  over  against  the  opposite  rail;  then  adjust  the  No.  1 
rod  so  that  the  switch  handle  will  drop  snugly  into  the 
slot.  Switch  points  should  fit  snugly  against  the  rail 
when  thrown  over,  but  a  very  tight  fit  is  undesirable,  as 
some  part  of  the  device  will  have  to  be  sprung  when 
thrown. 

The  switch  stand  with  an  adjustable  movement  for  use 
with  a  rigid  or  non-adjustable  switch  rod,  is  rapidly  gain- 
ing in  favor.  The  rigid  rod  is  made  for  the  correct  gage, 
and  all  adjusting  is  made  in  the  stand  or  connecting  rod. 

The  curved  lead  of  a  switch  is  usually  spike-lined  by 
eye  from  the  heel  of  the  switch  rail  to  the  toe  of  frog, 
although  it  is  sometimes  possible  to  obtain  the  correct 
distances  (called  ordinates)  from  gage  of  main  track  to 
gage  of  lead  rail,  at  certain  intermediate  points  on  the 
lead.  Before  lining  the  turnout  rail,  the  tangent  or  main 
line  rail  should  be  lined  up  correctly.  Otherwise  when 
lining  the  main  track  later,  the  line  of  the  turnout  track 
will  be  spoiled. 

All  ties  should  lie  square  across  the  track.  This  is  espe- 
cially true  of  head-block  ties,  because  the  connecting  rods 
must  be  perpendicular  to  the  track  to  prevent  bind- 
ing and  to  make  the  switch  throw  easily.  Stock  rails 
should  be  standard  length  rails,  so  that  they  may  be  re- 
placed by  new  ones  without  cutting.  The  gage  at  the 
point  of  switch  or  point  of  frog  should  be  a  little  loose 
rather  than  tight. 

Before  leaving  a  newly  constructed  switch  in  main 
track,  it  should  be  put  in  good  surface  and  line ;  both 
guard  rails  should  be  set,  bolted  and  blocked;  all  rails 
should  be  drilled,  full  bolted  and  full  spiked;  frog  and 

120 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

switch  points  should  be  completely  blocked  with  foot 
guards;  the  switch  stand  should  be  correctly  set  and 
locked.  If  the  turnout  side  is  ready  to  be  used,  all  spikes 
should  be  removed  which  will  prevent  switch  points, 
movable  frog  points  or  the  spring  rail  of  a  frog  from 
moving,  and  all  excess  material  should  be  loaded  or 
neatly  piled  up. 

Putting  in  a  No.  10  or  No.  11  Turnout — The  following 
program  may  be  used  for  putting  in  a  No.  10  or  No.  11 
turnout  when  (A)  the  old  track  rails  can  be  used  for 
stock  and  lead  rails,  and  (B)  the  frog  can  be  located  so 
that  it  will  toe-in  against  one  of  the  track  joints.  (See 
Fig.  18.)  The  order  of  work  is  as  follows : 

(1)  Put  in  switch  ties  as  described  above,  but  do  no 
unnecessary  spiking. 

(2)  Cut  connection  rail  (c)  to  go  behind  frog. 

(3)  Set  guard  rail  (a). 

(4)  Remove  part  of  spikes  on  one  side  of  rail  where 
frog  is  to  be  placed;  partially  break  the  two  joints  on 
this  rail. 

(5)  Set  up  on  the  end  of  the  ties  and  bolt  together 
the   frog   (b)    and   connection   rail    (c)    opposite   correct 
position  in  track. 

(6)  Send  out  flagmen. 

(7)  Pull  the  rest  of  the  spikes,  break  the  joints,  and 
throw  out  old  rail. 

(8)  Line   frog   into  place,   bolt   up  joints,   gage   and 
spike  frog. 

(9)  Place  slide  plates  under  rail  which  is  to  be  bent 
for  stock  rail. 

(10)  Break  joint  at  heel  of  switch  rail  and  bend  stock 
rail. 

121 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

(11)  Place  switch  point   (f)   against  the  end  of  lead 
rails,  and  bolt  up. 

(12)  Spike  switch  plates,  gaging  at  heel  and  point  of 
switch  rail. 

The  rest  of  the  work  is  similar  to  numbers  20  to  30 
under  the  general  method  given  above.  This  is  the 
easiest  way  of  putting  in  a  No.  10  or  No.  11  turnout 
where  the  existing  track  rails  are  standard  30  or  33  ft. 
lengths,  the  old  track  rails  being  used  for  the  main  line 
leads.  Two  of  these  rails  with  a  frog  15  ft.  long  (toe 
from  8  to  9  ft.)  and  a  15  or  16^  ft.  switch  rail  make  an 
excellent  lead  without  requiring  any  cut  rails.  The 
switch  must  be  located  so  that  the  frog  will  toe-in  at  one 
of  the  main  line  joints.  It  is  generally  possible  to  locate 
the  frog  in  this  manner  for  a  turnout,  and  for  at  least  one 
end  of  a  crossover.  The  frog  of  the  second  switch  of 
a  crossover  must  be  located  the  standard  distance 
from  the  first  (see  table  in  Appendix)  so  that  the  track 
between  the  frogs  will  line  up  correctly. 

If  it  is  necessary  to  move  the  rails  on  the  main-track 
side  of  the  switch,  a  standard  length  rail  should  be  cut 
in  two,  a  rail  taken  out  immediately  ahead  of  the  switch 
and  the  rails  within  the  switch  location  loosened  and 
launched  forward  against  one  of  the  cut  pieces.  The  re- 
maining piece,  used  behind  the  string  of  rails  moved,  will 
close  up  the  hole. 

Method  No.  1  for  Laying  No.  10  or  11  in  Main 
Line — In  Figs.  18,  19  and  20  there  is  illustrated  a  method 
of  putting  in  a  No.  10  or  11  turnout  where  (1)  the  main 
track  has  square  joints;  (2)  standard  length  track  rails 
(30  or  33  ft.  long)  are  used  in  the  leads ;  (3)  the  switch 
is  located  so  that  the  frog  toes-in  against  a  rail  joint; 

123 


I, 


O  & 


•b  ?O5 
$  £<« 


-go 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

(4)  the  main  line  rails  can  be  used  for  main-track  lead 
described. 

The  different  parts  of  the  switch  in  the  diagram  are 
lettered  in  the  order  in  which  they  should  be  put  in,  in 
general,  first  (a),  then  (b),  then  (c),  and  so  on.  As 
shown  in  Fig.  18  the  first  step  is  to  set  the  guard  rail 
(a),  cut  the  connection  rail  (c),  bolt  it  to  the  frog  (b) 
and  break  the  three  joints  as  shown.  The  second  step, 
Fig.  19,  is  to  pull  the  necessary  .spikes  and  take  out  the 
rail  (i'),  throw  the  frog  and  connection  rail  to  place  and 
bolt  up  and  spike  them,  bend  the  rail  (g)  at  a  point 
12  to  16  in.  ahead  of  the  point,  making  it  a  stock  rail,  and 
bolt  the  switch  rail  to  the  main  track  rail.  The  third 
step,  Fig.  20,  is  to  set  up  the  point  (f),  lead  rails  (d') 
and  (e')>  rails  (c'),  (j')  and  (k'),  and  set  and  spike  guard 
rail  (a').  The  detail  work  of  putting  in  plates,  setting 
switch  stands,  etc.,  is  similar  to  that  described  before. 

Method  No.  2— The  problem  in  Figs.  21,  22,  23  is  to  put 
in  a  No.  10  or  11  turnout  when:  (1)  The  main  track  is 
laid  with  square  joints;  (2)  the  lead  rails  are  standard 
length  track  rails  (30  or  33  ft.)  ;  (3)  the  frog  toes-in  at  a 
rail  joint;  (4)  main  line  rails  are  thrown  out  for  use  in 
curved  turnout  track;  (5)  the  stock  rail  is  a  new  rail; 
and  (6)  all  joints  must  square  up  at  the  heel  of  switch 
point  rail. 

The  diagram  of  this  switch  is  lettered  similar  to  the 
preceding  figures  and  the  order  of  setting  up  the  different 
parts  is  nearly  according  to  alphabetical  order.  In  the 
first  stage  the  guard  rail  (a)  is  placed;  frog  (b),  short 
rail  (c),  lead  rails  (d)  and  (e),  switch  point  (f)  and 

125 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

stock  rail  (g)  are  then  set  up  and  bolted  together.  Three 
joints  are  broken  as  shown,  after  pulling  necessary  spikes. 
The  old  rails  are  then  thrown  out,  and  the  switch  point 
and  lead  rails,  frog  and  connection  rails  are  thrown  in 
and  are  spiked  as  shown  in  Fig.  22.  The  lead  rails  (d') 
and  (e'),  and  switch  point  (f)  are  set  up,  bolted,  lined 
and  spiked.  The  curved  rails  (h'),  (i')  and  (j')  are 
gaged  and  spiked,  and  the  guard  rail  (a')  is  set.  In  some 
cases  it  may  be  advisable  to  put  in  a  new  rail  at  (j'). 
Method  No.  3 — In  method  No.  3  the  conditions  are  as 
follows:  (1)  The  main  track  is  laid  with  broken  joints; 

(2)  the  lead  rails  are  standard  length  rails  (30  or  33  ft.) ; 

(3)  the  frog  toes-in  at  a  rail  joint;  (4)  main  line  rails  are 
thrown  out  for  use  in  curved  turno.ut  of  track,  and  the 
stock  rail  is  a. new  rail;  (5)  all  joints  square  up  at  heel 
of  switch  point  rails. 

In  Fig.  24  the  first  step  is  to  cut  a  rail  in  the  middle, 
giving  two  16^  ft.  pieces,  (h')  and  (1).  Joints  are 
broken  as  shown,  rail  (y)  is  removed  and  (1)  put  in  place. 
Spikes  are  pulled  from  rails  (i),  (j),  (k)  and  (g')  and 
they  are  moved  ahead  against  (1)  ;  then  rail  (h')  is  set 
up  and  bolted  and  spiked. 

In  the  second  step,  Fig.  25,  the  guard  rail  (a)  is  set, 
frog  (b),  connection  piece  (c),  lead  rails  (d)  and  (e), 
switch  point  (f)  and  stock  rail  (g)  all  are  set  up  and 
bolted  together,  the  stock  rail  having  been  bent  previ- 
ously. Joints  are  broken  as  shown  and  in  the  third  step. 
Fig.  26,  rails  (i'),  (j'),  (k')  and  (z)  are  thrown  out  and 
the  new  ones  thrown  in,  then  bolted  and  spiked.  Guard 
rail  (a')  is  then  set  up  and. spiked.  The  lead  rails  (d')  and 
(e')  and  switch  point  (P)  are  set  up  (Fig.  27),  bolted, 
lined  and  spiked.  Curved  rails  (i),  (j)  and  (k)  are  gaged 
and  spiked  and  guard  rail  (a')  is  set. 

127 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

Method  No.  4 — Method  No.  4  is  applicable  for  putting 
in  a  No.  10  or  11  turnout  when:  (1)  The  main  track  is 
laid  with  broken  joints;  (2)  the  lead  rails  are  standard 
length  track  rails  (30  or  33  ft.)  ;  (3)  the  switch  is  to  be 
laid  with  broken  joints;  (4)  the  track  joints  must  be  lo- 
cated at  least  6  ft.  back  of  the  heel  of  the  switch  point 
rail. 

The  first  step,  Fig.  28,  is  to  cut  a  16^  ft.  rail  (i')  and 
to  cut  (h')  of  such  a  length  that  it  will  throw  the  joint  (q) 
back  to  clear  the  guard  rail  (a)  ;  (i')  is  cut  so  that  when 
the  rails  are  launched  back  to  put  in  (h')  and  (!'),  joint 
(q)  will  set  against  rail  (i').  The  joints  are  then  broken 
as  shown,  spikes  pulled,  and  rails  (w)  and  (x)  thrown 
out.  The  connection  piece  (i')  is  put  in,  rails  (j),  (k) 
and  (w)  moved  ahead  against  (i'),  the  rails  (h')  and 
(!')  inserted  and  bolted  up  and  spiked.  In  the  second 
step,  Fig.  29,  guard  rail  (a)  is  set,  connection  rail  (c), 
frog  (b),  lead  rails  (d)  and  (e),  switch  rail  (f),  stock 
rail  (g),  track  rail  (h)  and  connection  rail  (1)  are  set 
up  and  bolted. 

Joints  are  broken  as  shown  in  Fig.  30,  in  the  third 
step,  spikes  are  pulled  and  rails  (i'),  (j'),  (k')  (y)  and 
(z)  are  thrown  out  and  the  part  of  the  switch  setting  on 
the  ties  is  thrown  in,  bolted  up  and  spiked.  In  the  fourth 
step,  Fig.  31,  lead  rails  (d')  and  (e')>  switch  point  (f) 
and  connection  rail  (c')  are  set  up,  bolted,  lined  and 
spiked.  Rails  (i'),  (j')  and  (k')  are  moved  ahead,  set 
up,  bolted,  gaged  and  spiked.  Guard  rail  (a')  is  then 
set  up.  Detail  work  is  the  same  as  described  heretofore. 

Temporary  Switches — Ordinary  track  ties  interlaced 
do  not  make  an  advantageous  arrangement  even  for  a 
temporary  switch.  Hewn  ties  used  in  this  manner  re- 
quire much  difficult  adzing  to  obtain  an  even  bearing 

129 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


for  each  rail.  Even  if  sawed  ties  are  used  throughout, 
they  will  be  warped  enough  to  require  a  lot  of  adzing, 
and  the  ties  will  generally  be  so  closely  interlaced  that 
it  is  practically  impossible  to  do  any  surfacing  or  tamp- 
ing. When  no  switch  ties  are  available,  however,  track 
ties  will  have  to  be  used  and  interlaced  in  a  manner  to 
provide  adequate  support  and  enough  spiking  to  hold  the 
track  to  gage. 

A  temporary  switch  should  be  located  in  a  manner  to 
cause  the  least  disturbance  to  permanent  track  or  other 
structures,  and  so  that  when  the  switch  is  taken  out, 
the  track  can  be  easily  replaced,  without  cutting  rails. 
Track  joints  should  not  come  between  the  point  and 
heel  of  the  switch  rails  for  if  they  do  the  switch  point 
will  not  fit  up  tight.  A  temporary  switch  should  if  pos- 
sible be  located  so  that  no  track  rails  will  have  to 
be  moved  transversely  in  order  to  make  the  joints  clear 
the  switch  point;  for  this  requires  that  an  extra  rail  be 
cut  and  two  short  pieces  used  in  the  main  track  instead 
of  one.  If  no  transverse  movement  of  rails  is  neces- 
sary, when  the  temporary  switch  is  removed  the  track 
can  be  again  made  continuous  by  inserting  the  old  main 
line  rails  previously  used  in  place  of  the  frog  and  con- 
necting rail. 

Having  decided  on  the  proper  location  of  the  frog 
point,  the  switch  should  be  laid  out ;  that  is,  the  location 
of  the  switch  and  frog  points  marked  on  the  existing 
rail.  It  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  considerable  varia- 
tion of  the  switch  lead  (say  10%)  is  allowable  and  even 
advisable  in  temporary  switches  to  facilitate  the  work 
or  reduce  the  cutting  or  movement  of  rails.  In  perma- 
nent work  the  lead  should  not  be  reduced  more  than 
5%. 

130 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

If  the  frog  and  switch  points  are  new,  the  stock  rails 
and  connection  rails  back  of  the  frog  should  also  be 
new;  however,  if  the  main-track  rails  are  not  worn 
down  or  battered  much  (in  other  words,  if  they  are  prac- 
tically as  good  as  new)  they  may  be  used  instead  of 
new  rails.  A  worn  rail  placed  against  a  new  frog,  or  vice 
versa,  makes  a  bad  joint  and  allows  the  frog  or  rail  to 
be  battered  and  spoiled. 

In  laying  temporary  switches  it  is  generally  possible 
and  advisable  to  omit  heel  blocks,  frog  blocks  and  guard- 
rail blocks  with  the  possible  exception  of  those  on  the 
guard  rail  for  the  curved  lead.  This  does  not  refer  to 
foot-guard  blocks  which  should  never  be  omitted.  One 
hole  should  be  sufficient  in  the  cut  rails.  If  slide  plates 
to  complete  the  set  for  a  temporary  switch  are  lacking, 
the  number  used  may  be  reduced  to  one-half  or  more 
with  safety  if  the  switch  is  to  be  subjected  only  to  the 
traffic  of  light  engines  and  slow  speeds. 

The  method  of  putting  in  the  switch  points,  lead  rails 
and  frogs  of  a  temporary  switch  does  not  differ  ma- 
terially from  the  method  of  putting  in  permanent  turn- 
outs, except  that  the  quality  of  the  work  need  not  be  so 
high. 

The  No.  1  or  adjustable  rod  furnished  for  a  temporary 
switch  is  likely  to  be  an  old  one  and  badly  rusted.  It 
may  be  impossible  to  adjust  it  if  it  is  the  old  screw  ad- 
justed type;  but  it  is  usually  permissible  to  use  a  rod 
for  a  temporary  switch  in  a  side  track  which  leaves  the 
gage  say  a  half  inch  wide.  Narrow  gage  is  unsafe  at  a 
switch  point,  as  it  may  result  in  wheel  flanges  climb- 
ing up  on  a  switch  rail.  If  the  switch  rod  will  not  make 
the  gage  at  the  switch  point  more  than  a  half  inch  too 
Vide  the  following  method  of  setting  a  stand  may  be 

131 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


used  with  a  rod  which  cannot  be  adjusted:  Connect 
up  the  switch  stand,  connecting  rod,  and  No.  1  rod; 
throw  the  switch  point  against  the  main-track  stock  rail 
with  a  bar  and  spike  it  in  this  position,  having  previously 
spiked  the  No.  1  switch  plate  in  place  on  the  same  side. 
The  switch  stand  should  now  be  lined  up  parallel  to  the 
track  with  the  target  showing  correctly  for  the  closed 
point,  and  with  the  handle  in  its  correct  position.  The 
stand  can  be  spiked  solidly  in  this  position  at  the  same 

Main  Line 


Lined  for  Main  Line 


Fig.   32 — Turnout  Without  Frog  or  Points — Lined  up  for  Main  Line. 

time  taking  up  all  lost  motion;  the  spike  holding  the 
switch  point  can  now  be  removed  and  the  opposite  point 
thrown  over  against  the  unspiked  rail,  the  handle  of 
tHe  switch  stand  moving  at  the  same  time  far  enough  to 
drop  into  the  next  slot.  The  track  rail  should  then  be 
held  tightly  against  the  switch  point  and  spiked  in  that 
position,  at  the  same  time  inserting  the  other  No.  1 
switch  plate  and  making  sure  that  the  spike  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  tie  is  well  up  against  the  stock  rail. 
The  switch  points  will  now  close  on  either  side,  and  al- 
though the  gage  will  not  be  exact  it  will  be  close  enough 
for  temporary  work.  The  remaining  switch  plates  may 
be  placed  without  gaging,  if  the  heel  and  point  of  the 
switch  rail  has  been  gaged.  After  putting  on  slide  plates 

132 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

on  one  end,  the  switch  ties  are  likely  to  move  lengthwise 
and  drop  away  from  the  rail  when  an  attempt  is  made"  to 
spike  the  opposite  end.  To  prevent  this,  two  nippers 
should  be  provided  and  the  spiked  end  of  the  tie  should 
be  nipped  up  first,  and  held  while  the  unspiked  end  is 
brought  up. 

It  is  a  very  difficult  matter  to  procure  men  who  will 
not  take  too  much  pains  with  temporary  work.  It  is 
apparent,  however,  that  a  piece  of  work  which  is  to  last 

•MMMHBWMMpMMMM 

Main  line 


Lined  for 


Fig.  33— Turnout  Without  Frog  or  Switch  Points— Lined  up  for  Siding. 

for  a  few  months  only  does  not  require  as  good  work 
as  one  which  is  to  remain  for  years. 

Turnout  Without  Frog  or  Points — A  turnout  without 
frog  or  points  was  described  by  Andrew  Palm,  roadmas- 
ter,  C.  C.  T.  Co.,  in  the  January,  1914,  issue  of  Railway 
Engineering  and  Maintenance  of  Way.  This  switch  is 
similar  to  the  old  style  stub  switch  with  the  frog  and 
guard  rails  omitted.  It  is  undesirable  to  place  switches 
in  main  line  except  where  absolutely  necessary,  and  quite 
frequently  one  of  the  temporary  turnouts  illustrated  in 
Figs.  32  and  33  is  better  adapted  to  the  purpose  than 
the  standard  switch  and  frog  turnouts.  From  a  safety 
standpoint  it  is  an  ideal  layout,  and  it  can  be  constructed 
for  less  than  half  the  cost  of  the  standard  point  switch. 

Where  main   lines  are  laid  with,  broken  joints,  two 

133 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


half-rails  are  used,  one  to  even  the  joints  at  the  point 
where  the  turnout  begins,  and  the  other  at  the  place 
where  the  frog  would  be  placed  in  a  standard  lead.  When 
it  is  desired  to  put  a  train  on  the  siding,  the  spikes  are 
pulled,  the  two  joints  of  the  half-rail  are  taken  off,  and  the 
rail  swung  into  the  open  space  in  the  turnout.  The  half- 
rail  is  then  bolted  up  and  a  few  spikes  driven  if  neces- 
sary. All  that  is  required  at  the  stub  rail  is  to  remove 
the  angle  bars  from  the  main-line  joint,  and  a  few  spikes 
from  the  inside  of  one  rail  and  the  same  number  of 
spikes  from  the  outside  of  the  other.  The,  rails  are  then 
thrown  over  with  a  bar  and  angle  bars  put  on  tem- 
porarily. This  arrangement  has  the  advantage  of  keep- 
ing the  main  track  closed  when  the  turnout  is  not  in 
use. 

In  construction  work  this  layout  is  found  very  useful, 
as  sidings  must  often  be  constructed  for  track  laying  and 
surfacing  gangs.  When  short  of  frogs  and  switches, 
these  turnouts  may  be  put  in  at  points  where  permanent 
turnouts  are  to  be  located,  and  upon  the  arrival  of  the 
frogs  and  switches  the  standard  turnouts  can  be  in- 
stalled. 

Without  this  or  a  similar  device  material  trains  might 
sometimes  have  to  go  15  or  20  miles  to  pass  each  other, 
while  with  it  the  empty  train  takes  siding  and  allows 
the  loaded  train  to  proceed  to  the  front.  Trains  can 
be  passed  with  only  two  track  men — an  assistant  fore- 
man and  one  laborer,  to  make  the  changes. 

McAndrews  Method — J.  P.  McAndrews,  roadmaster  of 
the  Chicago  and  North  Western  Ry.,  uses  the  following 
inexpensive  method  for  spurring  out  cars,  to  prevent 
breaking  the  track,  disturbing  the  roadbed,  or  trouble 
caused  by  rails  expanding  while  track  is  open.  Instead  of 

134 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

a  frog,  a  short  piece  of  rail  is  used  with  the  base  and  web 
(but  not  the  ball)  cut  out  at  the  middle  so  it  may  be  set 
over  the  main-track  rail.  This  rail  is  bent  in  a  vertical 
curve  so  that  the  ends  will  rest  on  the  ties.  The  wheel 
flanges  are  thus  carried  up  over  the  main  track  rail  when 


1/A/EP  VPFOft  6/D/A/G-. 


Fig.  34 — Turnout  Without  Frog. 


A  is  a  15  to  16  ft.  rail  curved  vertically,  with  base  and  web  cut  out  so 
that  it  fits  over  the  top  of  the  main  line  rail,  taking  the  place  of  a  frog. 

B   is    a   standard   switch    point   rail. 

C  is  a  rail  bent  vertically  to  raise  the  flange  over  the  main  line  rail 
as  the  train  runs  onto  the  siding. 

The  lead  is  spiked  in  place  permanently,  but  rails  A,  B  and  C  have 
to  be  moved  in  and  spiked  when  the  train  runs  in  on  the  siding.  When 
the  switch  is  not  in  use,  the  rail  A  is  taken  out  and  laid  to  one  side 
and  B  and  C  are  spiked  solidly  away  from  the  main  track  rail. 

going  in  onto  the  siding.  The  short  piece  of  rail  has  to 
be  placed  and  bolted  each  time  the  switch  is  lined  up  for 
the  siding.  (See  Fig.  34.) 

Instead  of  cutting  the  track  at  the  switch  points  a  riser 
rail  is  used  on  one  side  and  a  point  on  the  other,  as  in 
the  Wharton-type  switch. 

Spurring  Out  Cars — The  writer  was  once  instructed  to 
spur  out  one  car,  an  outfit  for  8  foreigners,  using  the 

135 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


ordinary  method  of  stripping  out  and  lining  over  the 
track.  On  investigation  the  ties  in  the  main  track  were 
found  to  be  decayed  so  badly  that  they  would  have  had 
to  be  replaced  if  dug  out,  lined  over,  and  lined  back 


Fig.  35— Method  of  Spurring  Out  Cars  Without  Moving  Track  Ties. 

again.  The  construction  forces  naturally  did  not  care 
to  renew  ties  for  60  ft.  of  track,  just  to  spur  out  a  single 
car,  especially  since  the  ties,  if  undisturbed,  would  last 
for  a  year  or  more. 

The  sketch,  Fig.  35,  shows  the  method  used.  The 
spikes  were  pulled,  the  rails  lined  over  and  connected  to 
the  temporary  track  with  angle  bars,  and  spiked.  Enough 
short  ties  were  laced  in  to  hold  the  track  to  gage.  The 
temporary  track  was  laid  and  spiked  up,  measurements 
being  carefully  made  so  that  when  the  track  rails  were 
lined  over,  the  joints  were  easily  made  by  bunting  the 
temporary  rails  back  a  little. 

A  locomotive  should  not  be  pushed  in  on  a  curve  of 
this  kind,  which  is  usually  pretty  sharp.  The  best  ar- 
rangement is  to  have  a  number  of  light  empty  flats  be- 
tween the  locomotive  and  car  or  cars  to  be  spurred  out. 
The  flat  cars  are  not  nearly  so  likely  to  spread  the  rails 
or  get  off  the  track  as  a  locomotive. 

With  a  well  trained  and  organized  gang,  3  or  4  cars 

136 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

may  be  spurred  out  in  this  way  and  the  track  closed  in 
10  minutes,  after  thorough  preliminary  preparations  have 
been  made. 

Stripping  the  ballast  from  between  the  ties  and  lining 
over  the  track,  ties  and  all,  is  a  poor  method,  and  besides 
taking  more  time,  it  disturbs  the  old  road  bed,  leaving  it 
soft  so  that  the  track  soon  settles  out  of  surface. 

Constructing  a  Ladder  Track — In  laying  a  ladder 
track,  the  gang  should  be  organized  so  that  few  changes 
in  the  disposition  of  the  men  are  necessary  to  keep  the 
gang  compact,  and  to  leave  each  part  of  the  work  com- 
pleted. 

The  following  organization  is  suggested  for  a  gang  of 
40  laborers. 

Rail  cutters. 

Tie  line  man  and  fiddler. 

Tie  spacers  and  liners. 

Rail  and  frog  gang. 

Spike,  bolt  and  angle  bar  peddlers. 

Bolters. 

Spikers. 

Nippers. 

Gang  setting  guard  rails. 

Gang  setting  switch  stands  and  spiking  around  switch  points. 

Drill  gang. 

2  assistant  foremen. 

1  foreman. 

The  second  assistant  foreman  should  measure  up  and 
mark  the  switch  ties,  have  them  distributed  in  correct 
order  and  lined  and  spaced.  The  first  assistant,  who  is 
given  charge  of  setting  up  the  rails,  frogs,  and  switch 
rails,  should  be  an  experienced  track  man.  Careful  work 
on  his  part  in  the  use  of  different  lengths  of  rails  as  fur- 
nished, on  the  straight  side  of  the  ladder,  will  greatly 
reduce  the  number  of  rails  to  be  cut.  The  foreman 
should  take  direct  charge  of  the  men  setting  switch 

137 


PRACTICAL   TRACK   WORK 


stands,  guard  rails,  etc.  The  .spacing  for  ladder-track 
frogs  is  given  in  a  table  in  the  Appendix. 

One  party  of  men  should  be  started  cutting  rails,  and 
should  be  kept  busy  at  such  work  until  lead  rails  are 
ready  for  the  whole  ladder.  Each  switch  should  be  set 
up  independently,  no  attempt  being  made  by  the  assist- 
ant foreman  to  cut-in  the  connections  back  of  the  frogs. 
After  two  or  three  switches  have  been  set  up,  the  men 
cutting  rails  will  probably  have  enough  lead  rails  ready 
so  that  they  can  start  cutting-in  the  connection  rails  be- 
hind the  frogs.  This  work,  including  measuring  the  holes 
and  marking  the  rails,  can  be  taken  care  of  by  an  in- 
telligent laborer  with  one  assistant.  If  there  is  no  man 
who  can  be  trusted  with  such  work,  the  foreman  will 
have  to  measure  and  mark  all  the  rails.  The  men  cut- 
ting rails  should  be  able  to  set  them  in  place,  and  bolt 
them  ready  for  spiking  and  still  keep  up  with  the  gang. 
With  the  above  organization  it  is  possible  to  average  a  No. 
7  or  No.  8  switch  per  day  or  even  more  for  every  ten  men. 

Putting  in  switches  calls  for  high  organizing  ability. 
It  is  seldom  that  a  gang  is  kept  constantly  on  this  sort  of 
work,  and  if  a  man  is  slow  in  perfecting  his  organization 
the  switch  work  is  likely  to  be  all  done  before  the  gang 
attains  any  degree  of  efficiency.  The  qualifications  for 
a  foreman  for  a  switch  gang  are  ability  to  rapidly  or- 
ganize and  discipline  a  gang  of  men.  A  foreman  of  ex- 
ceptional ability  is  required  to  lay  a  ladder  track  cor- 
rectly, rapidly,  and  economically. 

A  good  switch  must  have  plenty  of  ties  under  the  frog, 
the  head  blocks  must  be  square  across  the  track  and  the 
rails  must  be  full  drilled,  bolted  and  spiked.  It  is  neces- 
sary to  watch  carefully  the  sizes  of  rails  set  up  if  sec- 

138 


TURNOUTS,  CROSSOVERS  AND  LADDER  TRACKS 

ond-hand  rails  are  used,  for  there  is  a  chance  for  some 
confusion  between  sizes  which  vary  little  in  appearance. 
The  use  of  a  wrong  size  rail  is  likely  to  cause  derail- 
ment, particularly  if  stock  rail  and  switch  rail  are  not 
the  same  size,  in  which  case  the  switch  point  will  not 
fit  up  correctly. 

Crossovers — Putting  in  a  crossover  is  about  the  same 
as  laying  two  turnouts.  The  proper  distances  between 
points  for  crossover  frogs  of  different  angles  are  given 
in  a  table  in  the  back  of  the  book.  Before  starting  work, 
the  foreman  should  carefully  measure  the  distance 
between  the  stakes  for  the  two  frogs  of  the  crossover,  as 
well  as  the  track  centers,  to  be  sure  these  are  correct, 
before  he  starts  work  on  the  second  switch.  If  the 
correct  distance  is  not  left  between  the  frogs,  the  track 
will  not  line  up  correctly  between  them. 

First-class  work  only  should  be  allowed  in  main  line 
crossovers.  Care  should  be  exercised  in :  (1)  Checking 
up  and  correcting  frog  point  locations;  (2)  gaging  ex- 
actly throughout;  (3)  surfacing  and  lining  main  line 
track  before  lining  curved  leads.  The  requirements  for 
good  work  here  are  the  same  as  those  given  for  a  lad- 
der track,  but  the  work  should  be  even  better  than  that 
done  in  a  yard. 

Lining  the  curved  leads  by  eye  sometimes  results  in 
badly  mutilating  the  ties,  before  the  rails  are  finally 
spiked  in  proper  position.  All  leads  should  be  lined  by 
ordinates,  and  for  this  purpose  a  table  of  ordinates  is 
given  in  the  Appendix. 


139 


CHAPTER  VII. 
SLIP  SWITCHES. 

What  a  Slip  Switch  Is — A  slip  switch  looks  very  com- 
plicated yet  it  consists  simply  of  either  one  or  two  Y-track 
connections,  and  two  tracks  which  form  an  ordinary 
track  crossing.  The  elements  of  a  slip  switch  are  shown 
in  Figs.  36,  37  and  38.  Fig.  36  shows  an  ordinary  track 
crossing;  the  addition  of  the  curved  Y-track  rails  (e) 
and  (g'),  Fig.  37,  transforms  the  crossing  into  a  single 


Fig.    36 — Elements  of  Slip   Switch — An   Ordinary   Crossing. 

slip  switch.     In  Fig.  38  curved  Y-rails  (e')  and  (g)  are 
added,  making  a  double  slip  switch. 

The  spacing  of  ties  for  a  slip  switch  should  be  ac- 
curate, the  exact  centers  shown  on  the  detail  plan  be- 
ing strictly  adhered  to.  Ties  are  designed  to  support 
certain  plates,  which  in  turn  are  designed  for  certain 
points  in  the  switch.  If  plates  are  not  placed  correctly 
they  will  not  fit,  and  it  will  be  impossible  to  bring  the 
rails  to  correct  gage.  Ties  should  be  lined  by  using  a  rope 
or  cord  stretched  on  the  center  line  of  the  switch,  from 
frog  point  to  frog  point,  and  not  from  a  line  stretched 

140 


SLIP    SWITCHES 


for  the  ends  of  the  ties.  Each  tie  must  be  measured 
and  its  center  marked.  Ties  should  be  laid  at  right 
angles  with  the  center  line,  and  not  at  right  angles  to 
either  track. 

A  very  accurate  way  of  spacing  ties  is  to  measure 


¥ 

Fig.  37— Ordinary  Crossing  with  One  Y-Track  Added— Making  a 
Single  Slip  Switch. 

from  the  center  line  of  the  switch  to  the  center  line  of 
each  tie.  For  this  purpose  the  author  worked  up  a  table, 
Fig.  39,  showing  these  spacings  for  a  C.  &  N.  W.  Ry. 
standard  No.  8  double  slip  switch.  By  using  such  a 


Fig.  38— Ordinary  Crossing  with  Two  Y- Tracks  Added— Making  a 
Double  Slip  Switch. 

table,  the  center  for  each  tie  may  be  measured  inde- 
pendently of  all  others,  preferably  using  a  steel  tape  line. 
In  this  manner  cumulative  errors  will  be  eliminated. 
In  other  words,  one  wrong  measurement  will  not  cause 
all  the  center  marks  beyond  it  to  be  wrong. 

141 


T1E.& 

DISTANCE 
CEMTER  LIME 

CFTIETOCEn- 
TER  POirfT  OF 
SWITCH 

,,,_ 

NO 

LENGTH 

SPACE 

\ 

M 

92 

92 

2.      No        19 

2 

n 

i'-n" 

a'-a€ 

a       „        is 

3 

n 

,'--!# 

^l-3|" 

e       i.       IT 

£ 

n 

I'-e" 

£  *~  |l  ^t 

a       u       te 

S 

u 

i'-9" 

>l 

a                n                »4 

G 

M 

I1-*" 

9-5^ 

a       ..       14 

•7 

II 

r-9* 

ir-af 

JOINT 

s 

n 

r-  ^' 

,2-s^: 

n 

u 

|%  ^ 

,    V 

OUTSIDE  IHSIOE. 
F^AtL.           RAIL. 

Z.   No»0  a  No  \\ 

10 

M 

\--r\ 

15-  O-4 

2     *     9   2    M     12 

II 

u 

I'-T^ 

tV-T-4- 

2       n    8    ^    u     )l 

12 

M 

V'-ll". 

!9'-6i" 

H      u    T    2     n    1*3 

13 

12 

r-ef 

et-of 

a       NO      s 

14 

12 

i1-  if 

22-  III" 

a       ,»       -4 

16 

12 

I'-  6" 

24-5i 

2.           n          3 

16 

12 

r-  if 

26'-4-l 

21       o       e 

11 

12 

r-»£ 

26-2% 

a       «        » 

>8 

12 

29-^  Ji 

19 

12 

V-^" 

3O'-9?t 

20 

ia 

I-4" 

32'-.  tl 

JOINT 

21 

12 

|i£ 

33-7  {i 

JOIWT 

Fig.  39— Table  Showing  Tie  Spacing  for  No.  8  Double  Slip  from  Center 

Point  to  One  End  of  Switch.— Same  Spacing  Used  for  Opposite 

Half  of  Switch. 


142 


SLIP    SWITCHES 


In  measuring  off  and  laying  out  the  work,  measure- 
ments should  always  be  made  from  the  center  point 
of  the  switch.  The  distance  from  center  point  to  heel 
of  frog  should  be  marked  on  the  rail,  and  then  the  rails 
may  be  cut  for  the  connections.  If  nothing  better  than 
a  cloth  tape  is  available,  it  should  be  compared  with 
several  standard  length  rails,  and  if  it  is  too  short  or  too 
long  the  proper  point  should  be  marked  on  the  tape  for  a 
correct  rail  length  and  this  mark  used  in  laying  out  the 
work.  Or  the  slip  switch  rails  may  be  measured  as  they 
are  to  be  located  in  the  track,  using  the  defective  tape 
line,  and  making  the  measurements  on  the  rails  in  the 
track  the  same. 

If  a  foreman  is  unfamiliar  with  the  work,  it  is  advisable 
to  set  up  the  slip  switch  in  the  material  yard,  fitting  up 
each  frog  and  rail  as"  it  should  go.  A  few  ties  can  be  used 
as  stringers  to  set  the  slip  switch  on,  and  this  precaution 
may  save  hours  and  possible  train  delays  when  the  work 
is  being  put  in. 

Method  of  Putting  in  a  Slip  Switch — One  of  four  gen- 
eral methods  of  putting  in  a  double  slip  switch  may  be 
used :  (1)  Send  out  flagmen,  tear  up  track,  replace  old 
ties  with  switch  ties,  and  set  up  the  switch.  (2)  Put  in 
switch  ties,  set  up  the  switch  and  bolt  together  complete 
on  stringers  outside  of  the  track  rails,  take  out  the  track 
rails  and  line  in  the  switch  complete  as  a  unit.  (3)  Put  in 
the  switch  ties  while  the  track  is  being  used,  set  up  the 
switch  in  halves,  on  the  ties,  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
track,  and  line  into  place  one  side  at  a  time  after  taking 
out  the  track  rails.  (4)  Set  up  the  slip  switch  on  the  ties, 
bolt  and  spike  in  the  material  yard,  place  on  a  flat  car 
with  a  locomotive  crane,  transport  to  the  location  where 

143 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


it  is  to  be  put  in  and  place  in  position  with  a  locomotive 
crane. 

The  first  method  should  be  used  where  there  is  no 
great  objection  to  closing  the  track  to  traffic  for  a  half 
a  day  or  more.  It  is  probably  the  cheapest  way,  espe- 
cially since  traffic  will  cause  no  delay  in  the  work.  The 
second  method  requires  a  good  deal  of  room  outside 
the  track.  The  third  or  the  fourth  method  can  be  used  in 
busy  congested  locations  where  time  and  space  are  at 
a  premium.  The  third  method  will  work  out  very  satis- 
factorily for  almost  any  conditions  that  have  to  be  met. 

Setting  Up  a  Slip  Switch — A  No.  10  movable-point 
frog,  double  slip  switch,  Fig.  40,  consists  of  the  following 
rails,  which  are  named  in  the  order  in  which  the  switch 
may  be  set  up : 

2  middle  stock  rails  marked  (a)  and  (a'). 

2  No.  10  frogs  marked  (b)  and  (b'). 

4  short  length  straight  rails,  2  marked  (c)  and  2 
marked  (c')« 

4  movable  frog  points,  2  marked    (d)    and  2  marked 

(do. 

2  curved  rails  marked  (e)  and  (e'). 

4  curved  switch  rails,  2  marked  (f)  and  2  marked  (P). 

2  curved  rails  marked  (g)  and  (g')« 

4  stock  rails,  2  marked  (h)  and  2  marked  (h'). 

4  straight  switch  rails,  2  marked  (i)  and  2  marked  (i'). 

4  guard  rails,  2  marked  (j)  and  2  marked  (j')- 

The  rails  marked  (k)  and  (k'),  are  cut  to  fit  behind 
the  frogs,  and  (1)  and  (!')  are  cut  to  fit  behind  the  stock 
rails. 

Tie  Plates — After  the  proper  locations  of  the  rails  have 
been  mastered,  the  proper  location  of  the  plates  must  be 

144 


SLIP    SWITCHES 


studied.  The  types  and  styles  vary.  It  is  quite  usual  to 
use  gage  or  continuous  plates  under  frog  and  switch 
point  rails.  In  automatic  signal  territory  gage  plates 
may  be  cut  in  two  to  prevent  electrical  connections  be- 
tween the  rails ;  or  the  plates  may  be  made  in  two  pieces 
and  joined  together  with  insulation  between  them.  Some- 
times, however,  the  entire  switch  is  cut  out  of  the  signal 
circuit,  so  that  neither  of  the  above  arrangements  is 
necessary.  In  order  to  get  the  plates  right,  it  is  ad- 
visable to  take  a  complete  set  and  distribute  them  in  the 
position  shown  in  Fig.  41.  Or  half  of  them  may  be  laid 
out  on  the  ground  at  each  end  of  the  ties  in  proper  order. 
For  instance,  if  there  are  four  plates  on  one  tie,  two 
plates  should  be  placed  at  each  end  of  the  tie,  with  the  one 
which  goes  in  the  center  nearest  the  tie  and  the  one  for 
the  outer  rail  beyond. 

As  many  of  the  plates  look  almost  alike,  there  is 
danger  of  putting  some  of  them  on  the  wrong  ties,  or 
under  the  wrong  rail  on  the  right  tie.  This  not  only 
causes  additional  work,  but  makes  additional  spike  holes 
in  the  tie.  Fig.  39  shows  a  table  made  up  to  indicate  just 
what  plates  go  on  each  tie  and  Fig.  41  shows  a  method 
of  laying  the  plates  on  the  ground  and  lining  them  up 
in  the  relative  positions  they  will  occupy  in  the  switch, 
the  light  lines  indicating  bases  of  the  rails.  If  the  plates 
are  laid  out  in  this  manner  there  is  little  chance  of  error 
when  they  are  put  on  the  ties. 

A  still  better  way  to  handle  the  tie  plates  is  to  spread 
them  out  in  their  correct  order  and  then  lay  them  down 
between  the  ties  so  that  after  the  slip  switch  is  thrown 
in,  all  that  has  to  be  done  is  to  raise  the  rail  and  slip  the 
plate  under,  the  plates  being  placed  so  that  there  is  little 
possibility  of  the  men  getting  them  on  the  wrong  ties. 

145 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


146 


SLIP    SWITCHES 


Putting  a  Double  Slip 
Switch  in  One  Side  at  a 
Time — When  putting  in  a 
slip  switch  one  side  at  a  time 
under  traffic,  it  is  advisable 
to  put  the  switch  and  frog 
point  plates  on  the  ties  un- 
der the  old  track  rail.  The 
main  track  connection  rails 
behind  frogs,  should  be  cut 
before  breaking  the  old 
track.  The  track  should  be 
put  in .  perfect  line  before 
tearing  up  to  put  in  the 
switch. 

One  half  of  the  switch  is 
.  set  up  on  the  ends  of  the 
switch  ties  outside  of  one 
track  rail  (see  Fig.  42)  and 
the  other  half  of  the  switch 
is  set  up  outside  the  other. 
Rails  a,  b,  c,  d,  e,  f,  g,  h,  i,  j, 
k  and  1  from  the  center  of  the 
switch  to  the  left  end  of  the 
drawing  form  a  quarter  of 
the  layout.  Rails  a,  b,  c,  d,  e, 
f,  g,  h,  i,  j,  k  and  1  from  the 
center  to  the  right  form 
another  quarter,  completing 
a  half  of  the  switch  as  shown 
on  the  upper  half  of  the 
drawing.  The  same  order  is 
followed  on  the  opposite 

147 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


side  of  the  track,  that  is,  the  lower  side  of  the  drawing. 
Rails  a',  b' ',  c',  d',  e',  f,  g',  h',  i',  j',  k',  and  1'  to  the  left 
are  set  up  and  the  same  order  is  followed  on  the  right. 

The  middle  points  of  rails  (a,  a)  and  (a',  a')  must  be 
accurately  at  the  center  stakes.  If  twro  stakes  are  pro- 
vided, a  string  may  be  stretched  between  them,  and  the 
center  points,  which  are  indicated  by  punch  marks  on  the 
rails,  should  be  located  exactly  under  the  string.  If  this 
is  not  correctly  done,  trouble  will  be  experienced  in  get- 
ting the  switch  connected  up. 

After  having  the  switch  set  up  outside  the  track  all 
but  about  six  spikes  per  rail  length  can  be  pulled,  which 
leaves  enough  to  carry  traffic  at  reduced  speed.  Flagmen 
are  then  sent  out,  and  the  joint  spikes  are  pulled. 
If  the  preliminary  work  is  carefully  and  completely  done, 
and  if  all  other  necessary  material  such  as  bolts,  spikes, 
etc.,  is  handy,  one  side  of  the  slip  switch  may  be  thrown  in 
and  spiked  for  a  train  in  30  minutes  or  less,  with  a  com- 
petent, experienced  foreman  and  a  large  gang  of  ex- 
perienced men.  The  writer  has  seen  one  side  of  two  slip 
switches  connected  by  about  150  ft.  of  track  thrown  into 
place  and  a  train  pass  over  in  22  minutes  from  the  time 
the  order  was  given  to  tear  up. 

The  method  in  detail  for  putting  in  one  side  of  the 
switch  is  as  follows :  The  flagmen  are  sent  out  and  the 
spikes  left  in  the  preliminary  work  are  pulled  on  one  side 
of  the  track.  The  rails  are  thrown  up  over  the  slip  switch 
and  outside  of  the  ties.  The  half  of  the  slip  switch  is 
then  lined  into  place  and  gaged  at  each  joint  and  each 
switch  and  frog  point.  The  gage  is  laid  across  from 
the  old  track  rail  which  has  not  been  removed.  If  the 
plates  for  the  switch  point  rails  have  not  been  placed, 
they  must  be  applied,  when  gaging.  After  spiking  the 

148 


SLIP    SWITCHES 


joints  and  points,  the  track  can  be  made  safe  for  slow 
traffic  by  spiking  one  tie  near  the  middle  of  each  rail  (b) 
and  (c').  The  construction  of  a  slip  switch  is  such  that 
it  is  practically  impossible  for  any  of  the  rails  to  tip 
over  and  the  weight  is  almost  great  enough  to  keep  the 
rails  from  spreading  under  a  train  running  over  the 
straight  route  at  reduced  speed. 

The  remaining  side  of  the  switch  is  put  in,  in  a  similar 
manner,  whenever  time  is  available.  A  foreman  must 
watch  the  laborers  carefully  to  see  that  they  make  no 
mistakes  such  as  removing  and  exchanging  tie  plates, 
or  placing  the  gage  on  the  wrong  rail,  where  two  rails 
are  close  together.  Before  spiking  up  the  second  side  of 
the  switch,  all  joints  and  plates  should  be  put  in,  as  well 
as  all  joint,  heel  of  switch  and  frog  castings,  and  straps 
called  for  on  the  plan.  It  may  be  necessary  to  drive 
some  of  the  rails  a  little  to  get  the  straps,  etc.,  con- 
nected up. 

Setting  Up  Slip  Switch  Complete  Outside  of  Track — 
If  there  is  plenty  of  room,  the  method  of  setting  up  the 
entire  switch  outside  of  the  track  and  then  lining  it  in 
all  at  once,  is  an  excellent  one.  Or  the  switch  may  be 
entirely  constructed,  where  space  is  available,  loaded  and 
moved  to  the  location  on  a  flat  car,  the  ballast 
stripped  out,  the  old  switch  lifted  out  bodily  and  the  new 
one  lifted  in  by  a  steam  derrick  or  locomotive 
crane.  It  is  especially  advisable  for  an  inexperienced 
foreman  to  set  up  the  switch  complete,  outside  of  the 
track,  as  this  will  preclude  the  possibility  of  get- 
ting the  rails  and  fastenings  mixed  while  the  track 
is  torn  up,  and  delaying  traffic  while  getting  things 
straightened  around.  Connection  rails  (k)  and  (k'),  (j) 
and  (j'),  may  be  cut  and  bolted  up  with  the  switch. 

149 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


The  method  of  putting  in  one  side  of  a  slip  switch  at 
a  time  causes  little  interruption  to  traffic.  It  is  a  very 
satisfactory  method  because  if  the  old  track  is  in  good 
line  and  the  gaging  is  properly  done,  the  completed 
switch  will  require  practically  no  lining  up.  This  is  a 
big  advantage  because  the  great  weight  and  the  inter- 
connections between  the  rails  of  a  slip  switch  make  it 
difficult  to  line. 

Spiking — After  the  slip-switch  rails  are  all  in  place, 
a  small  gang  of  expert  and  intelligent  spikers  should  be 
kept  on  the  work  and  a  few  men  should  be  started  to 
putting  on  the  switch  rods.  Spiking  requires  the  care- 
ful attention  of  the  foreman,  and  if  a  large  number  of 
spikers  are  kept  at  work  it  may  be  impossible  to  pre- 
Vent  poor  gaging,  spiking  tie  plates  on  the  wrong  ties, 
and  other  incorrect  work. 

Several  Slip  Switches  in  the  Same  Track — It  frequent- 
ly happens  that  several  switches  for  an  interlocking  plant 
are  to  be  put  in  one  track  quite  close  together.  In  this 
case  a  saving  of  time  and  also  of  cut  rails  can  frequently 
be  effected  by  setting  up  two  or  three  switches  in  two 
parts  on  opposite  sides  of  the  track,  with  connecting 
rails  between,  and  throwing  in  one  side  of  the  whole 
layout  in  one  operation.  Quite  a  large  force  of  men  is 
required  to  do  the  work  when  using  this  method. 

Inspecting  Similar  Layouts — Valuable  hints  may  be 
obtained  by  an  inspection  of  switches  which  are  similar 
to  the  one  being  constructed;  but  as  standards  change, 
it  is  quite  likely  that  a  new  switch  will  be  somewhat 
different  from  the  old  one.  Switches  under  construc- 
tion should  be  kept  in  correct  surface  and  alinement,  or 
else  properly  protected  by  slow  flags  and  lights. 

150 


SLIP    SWITCHES 


Locating  Crossover  Frogs — In  laying  either  ordinary 
or  slip-switch  crossovers,  the  distance  between  frog 
stakes  should  be  checked  before  starting  work;  and- if 
found  correct,  each  switch  may  be  laid  independently. 
If  the  distance  is  incorrect,  as  can  be  determined  by 
reference  to  the  table  in  the  Appendix,  the  location  for 
one  frog  should  be  changed  and  the  distance  between 
them  corrected. 

When  there  is  any  uncertainty,  the  exact  location  for 
the  second  frog  may  be  found  by  laying  one  or  more 
rails  behind  the  first  frog  and  lining  these  accurately 
with  the  frog  tangent.  Then  by  using  a  track  gage  the 
point  of  frog  may  be  located  as  follows: 

Place  the  gage  on  the  rail  behind  the  frog  and  move 
it  along  until  the  opposite  side  of  the  gage  just  touches 
the  gage  line  of  the  nearest  rail  of  the  other  track. 

Checking  Material — In  laying  a  single-  or  double-slip 
switch,  especially  in  main  line,  the  material  should  be 
very  carefully  checked  up  beforehand  by  the  foreman, 
so  that  he  is  sure  before  the  track  is  cut  that  lack  of 
material  will  not  cause  a  delay.  This  precaution  will 
prevent  interruption  of  traffic. 


151 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
SURFACING  NEW  TRACK. 

Preparation  of  Subgrade  on  New  Track — When 
trains  run  over  a  track  on  a  level-topped  grade  before 
it  is  ballasted,  the  ties  sink  into  the  dirt  several  inches, 
the  depth  depending  on  the  compactness  of  the  soil, 
amount  of  moisture,  etc  A  longitudinal  section 
would  then  look  something  like  Fig.  43.  Dirt 
should  be  leveled  off  to  the  bottom  of  the  ties  before 
ballast  is  applied  to  such  a  roadbed.  One  of  two 


Fig.  43.     Longitudinal  Section  of  Track  on  New  Grade  After  Being 
Used  by  Construction  Trains. 

methods  may  be  followed :  The  whole  grade  can  be 
cut  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  tie  and  the  dirt  thrown 
over  the  shoulder,  or  the  track  can  be  raised  and  the 
dirt  between  the  ties  tamped  under  them.  The  lat- 
ter method  is  usually  followed,  and  leaves  the  top  of 
the  roadbed  somewhat  like  the  cross  section  in  F'ig.  44. 
After  the  track  has  been  ballasted  the  center  part 
of  the  subgrade  will  continue  to  settle,  so  that  even 
if  the  top  is  made  level  before  ballasting,  the  sub- 
grade  will  gradually  assume  a  trough  or  dish-like 
shape.  The  depth  of  this  trough  may  easily  be  from 
8  to  15  in.  on  a  subgrade  of  fairly  good  material.  It 
is  this  condition  which  is  often  to  blame  for  the  fre- 

152 


SURFACING    NEW   TRACK 


quent  raising  of  track  out  of  face  and  the  application 
of  more  ballast,  when  in  reality  what  the  track  needs 
is  merely  drainage.  In  the  recent  valuation  of  rail- 
roads many  places  have  been  found  where  the  bal- 
last was  4  ft.  or  more  thick,  where  the  track  still 
was  settling  and  where  orders  were  constantly  being 
made  for  more  ballast  with  which  to  raise  the  track. 
Since  gravel  and  crushed  stone  are  pervious,  rain 
water  soon  penetrates  to  the  subgrade  and  if  it  is 
dished,  or  even  if  the  original  depressions  made  by 


Fig.  44.      Transverse  Section  of  Track  on  New  Grade  After  Being 
Used   by   Construction   Trains. 

the  ties  in  the  subgrade  are  left,  the  water  will  ac- 
cumulate and  the  subgrade  will  become  continually 
softer.  The  softening  of  the  grade  allows  the  ballast 
in  the  track  to  settle  further  and  further  and  the  con- 
dition becomes  continually  worse.  The  water  which 
collects  in  this  manner  must  soak  through  the  side  of 
the  subgrade  before  it  is  rid  of.  If  the  surface  of  the 
subgrade  were  higher  in  the  middle  than  on  the 
shoulders,  or  even  if  it  were  level,  the  water  which 
penetrates  the  ballast  would  find  a  natural  outlet 
along  the  top. 

It  is  a  good  idea  to  dig  down  the  shoulders  of  the 
subgrade  10  or  12  in.,  just  before  ballasting,  pro- 
vided the  top  of  the  subgrade  is  dished,  thus  making  a 
cross  section  similar  to  Fig.  45.  The  dirt  obtained 
in  this  manner  may  be  used  for  widening  the  banks 

153 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


where  they  are  narrow,  or  can  be  thrown  in  between 
the  ties,  and  the  track  raised  sufficiently  to  take  this 
dirt,  which  may  merely  be  tamped  with  shovel 
handles.  After  this  is  done  and  traffic  is  turned  on 
the  track  for  a  few  days,  the  subgrade  will  be  in  ex- 
cellent shape  for  the  application  of  ballast.  The  final 
approximate  appearance  of  a  cross  section  after  the 
application  of  ballast  would  then  be  like  Fig.  46. 

Every  precaution  should  be  taken  to  make  the  sub-- 
grade solid  and  compact  when  it  is  built.  Since  much 
construction  wrork  is  rushed  through  hurriedly,  how- 


Fig.  45.     Suggested  Method  of  Finishing  Top  of  Sub-Grade. 


ever,  this  is  not  always  possible.  Where  the  dirt  is 
dumped  off  of  high  trestles  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
get  the  subgrade  in  good  condition  for  ballast,  while 
in  other  places  the  subgrade  may  be  built  in  the  wrinter 
and  large  chunks  of  frost  used. 

The  dishing  of  the  grade  and  its  effect  have  been 
well  recognized  by  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad, 
which  now  requires,  as  one  of  its  standards,  a  drain  in 
all  double-track,  consisting  of  a  line  of  tile  laid  in  the 
center  of  the  grade  between  tracks,  with  outlets  to  the 
ties. 

Frequent  Surfacing  Necessary — Uneven  surface  will 
quickly  develop  in  new  track.  And  while  most  track 
men  are  familiar  with  surfacing  track  on  an  old  bed, 
there  are  some  differences  in  surfacing  on  a  new  bed 
which  should  be  mentioned. 

154 


SURFACING    NEW   TRACK 


Type  of  Ballast  Cars — No  matter  what  type  of  bal- 
last cars  is  being  used,  the  foreman  should  carefully 
examine  the  ballast,  in  case  there  is  likely  to  be  any 
which  is  unfit  for  use ;  and  cars  of  poor  ballast  should 
be  switched  out  before  the  train  starts  to  unload. 
Ballast  cars  may  be  roughly  divided  into  three  classes 
— center  dump,  side  dump  and  plow  cars.  Cars  used 
for  plowing  are  also  frequently  called  side  dump. 

Wherever  the  dirt  or  ballast  is  stripped  out  from 


Stone  Ballast 


Fig.    46.      Final  Approximate  Appearance    of  a  Grade   Finished  as 
Shown  in  Fig.  45. 

between  the  ties,  center  dump  cars  will  be  found  to  be 
the  more  efficient.  They  drop  the  ballast  in  such  man- 
ner that  it  can  be  spread  and  then  put  under  the  track 
with  practically  no  rehandling.  Where  the  track  is 
not  to  be  stripped  out  (and  this  does  not  happen  very 
often  unless  a  very  light  raise  is  being  given)  it  may 
be  impossible  in  some  cases  to  drop  enough  ballast  in 
the  center  of  the  track  to  give  the  desired  amount  for 
the  raise.  In  most  cases,  however,  where  the  raise  is 
high,  the  dirt  or  ballast  will  have  been  stripped  out; 
and  in  cases  where  the  raise  is  low,  usually  the  center 
dump  cars  will  give  enough  of  a  spread  anyway.  With 
other  methods  of  unloading,  more  equipment  and  the 
rehandling  of  the  ballast  are  necessary.  An  engine, 
plow  and  cable  are  used  extensively  in  ballast  work. 
With  this  method,  as  with  center  dumps,  the  train  can 

155 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


be  moved  along  as  it  is  being  unloaded,  thus  prevent- 
ing the  ballast  from  piling  up  and  burying  the  wheels 
of  the  train. 

The  air  side  dump  cars  or  Lidgerwood  and  side 
plow  are  especially  adaptable  to  making  a  high  fill 
where  the  track  may  be  constantly  lined  over  to  the 
edge  of  the  fill,  as  the  work  progresses.  Air  dump 
cars,  however,  cannot  be  used  as  standard  equipment 
for  winter  service,  and  so  they  are  not  used  very  exten- 
sively in  ballasting  work.  The  Hart  Convertible  car 
can  be  used  either  for  center  dump  or  for  plowing, 
and  is  convertible  into  a  standard  gondola  car,  for  use 
in  the  winter.  A  great  many  trackmen  favor  cars  of 
this  type. 

Sags — Where  there  are  sags  of  6  in.  or  more  in  the 
track  which  is  to  be  ballasted,  these  should  be  taken 
out  before  the  general  distribution  of  ballast.  This 
will  make  it  possible  for  the  surfacing  gang  to  bring 
the  track  uniformly  up  to  the  stakes.  Raising  the  sags 
first  also  makes  it  unnecessary  to  haul  ballast  through 
the  surfacing  gang  and  distribute  it  back  of  them,  as- 
suming that  the  surfacing  is  progressing  toward  the 
gravel  pit. 

Unloading  Ballast — If  the  ballast  is  being  unloaded 
from  center  dump  cars,  the  car  at  the  head  end  of  the 
train  should  be  opened  first  and  the  following  ones 
opened  in  rotation  as  required;  then  the  empty  cars 
will  not  have  to  run  over  the  track  where  ballast  has 
been  unloaded. 

An  experienced  gang  of  men  should  be  used  on  the 
unloading.  Inexperienced  men  are  likely  to  dump  too 
much  in  a  place  and  to  stall  the  train  or  derail  the 

156 


SURFACING    NEW    TRACK 


cars.  A  spreader  or  track  plow  should  be  used  at  the 
rear  of  the  train  to  plow  the  ballast  out  over  the  shoul- 
der, and  should  throw  out  enough  gravel  from  the 
flangeway  to  prevent  stones  from  being  struck  by 
trains.  The  train  should  be  kept  in  motion  while  the 
gravel  is  being  unloaded,  and  not  more  than  two  or 
three  cars  should  be  opened  at  one  time.  The  second 
car  may  be  opened  gradually  as  the  ballast  is  dumped 
from  the  first,  the  third  after  the  second,  etc.  By 
handling  this  work  carefully  an  even  distribution  can 
be  obtained. 

If  no  track  plow  or  spreader  is  available  the  gravel 
may  be  plowed  off  by  using  ties  in  front  of  the  car, 
piled  so  that  there  will  be  a  practically  perpendicular 
face,  enough  being  used  behind  the  front  row  to  solidly 
brace  against  the  wheels  of  the  car.  When  plowing 
off  in  this  manner  the  wheels  of  the  car  will  slide  and 
become  flat,  unless  shoes  are  provided.  Shoes  for  this 
purpose  are  made  of  iron  straps  about  3  in.  by  */•?  in.  in 
section,  bent  in  a  curved  form  at  the  bottom  to  fit  the 
wheels,  with  a  straight  vertical  leg  ending  in  a  hoop 
which  fits  over  the  top  tie.  The  front  pair  of  wheels 
is  pushed  up  onto  these  shoes,  the  shoes  sliding  on  the 
rail,  and  thus  protecting  the  wheels.  This  method  of 
spreading  ballast  is  not  to  be  recommended.  Not  only 
does  it  fail  to  throw  the  ballast  far  enough  out,  but  it 
does  not  flange  out  the  track,  and  it  packs  the  ballast 
down  solidly,  so  that  when  raising,  the  ties  are  likely 
to  drop  off  on  account  of  the  pressure.  Roger  Ballast 
or  Hart  Convertible  cars,  used  for  center  dump,  have 
been  unloaded  for  6  cents  per  car,  for  the  time  actually 
used  in  unloading. 

157 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


SURFACING. 

Organization — In  the  organization  of  a  surfacing 
gang  the  work  should  be  arranged  so  that:  (1) 
Laborers  will  not  have  to  double  back,  and  thus  cover 
an  extra  amount  of  territory.  (2)  Men  will  not  have 
to  pass,  but  will  always  follow  each  other  in  the  same 
order.  In  this  way  time  will  be  saved,  while  in  the 
tamping  good  work  will  be  mixed  with  poor,  resulting 
in  a  more  uniform  job  throughout.  When  laborers  have 
to  pass  each  other,  as  they  would,  for  instance,  if 
each  gang  of  tampers  tamped  a  complete  rail  length, 
there  may  be  a  lot  of  time  wasted  "visiting"  as  the 
laborers  from  the  back  pass  the  others  in  proceeding 
to  the  front. 

With  G7  men,  the  following  organization  will  be 
found  efficient : 

1  spot  board  man. 

2  jack  hole  -diggers. 
6  jack  men. 

4  jack  tampers. 

4  men  filling  in  for  jack  tampers. 

1  hammer  man. 

1  levelboard  man. 

8  men  filling  in. 
16  men  tamping  ends. 

8  men  filling   centers. 
16  men  tamping  centers. 

Total  67 

General  foreman,  1;  assistant  foremen,  2;  Track  Raiser,  1. 

Spotboard  Man — The  spotboard  man  sets  up  the 
spotboard  on  the  stakes  and  levels  it;  or  in  case  there 
are  no  stakes,  he  sets  it  from  sights  made  by  the  fore- 
man with  his  blocks.  Two  spotboards  should. always 
be  provided,  so  that  the  spotboard  man  may  be  set- 
ting up  one  while  the  foreman  is  sighting  to  the  one 

158 


SURFACING    NEW    TRACK 


in  the  rear.  A  spotboard  bracket  (page  35)  should  be 
used;  it  consists  of  a  steel  slot  with  a  point,  which  is 
driven  into  the  ground ;  the  spotboard  rests  in  the 
slot  at  the  top,  and  is  thus  prevented  from  blowing 
over  or  falling  off  the  stakes. 

Jack  Hole  Diggers — Jack  holes  should  be  dug 
about  two  ties  ahead  of  the  joints  and  about 
the  same  distance  ahead  of  the  centers  of  the  rails. 
Jack  holes  should  always  be  made  level  on  the  bottom 
and  plenty  large  enough  for  the  jack  blocks.  If  the 
hole  is  made  rounding  toward  the  ends,  all  the  strain 
will  come  on  the  ends  of  the  jack  board,  breaking  or 
bending  it. 

Jack  Men — Three  men  should  handle  each  jack,  two 
of  them  carrying  the  jack  forward,  the  third  carrying 
the  jack  block.  An  ordinary  joint  plate  makes  an 
excellent  jack  block,  if  provided  with  a  handle  by 
twisting  wire  around  through  the  spike  slot  holes. 
Extra  jack  boards  should  be  provided,  so  that  the  man 
who  handles  them  may  move  on  ahead  of  the  gang  and 
set  the  plates  in  advance,  while  the  joint  in  the  rear 
is  being  raised. 

Jack  Tampers — Two  jack  tampers  should  be  as- 
signed to  each  jack,  so  that  it  will  not  be  necessary  for 
the  jack  men  to  drop  the  handle  and  do  the  tamping. 
The  jack  tampers  should  start  working  just  as  soon  as 
the  men  start  to  raise,  so  that  by  the  time  the  raiser 
gives  the  word,  "High,"  the  tie  will  be  tamped  suffi- 
ciently so  that  the  jacks  may  be  dropped  immediately. 
It  requires  both  skill  and  practice  for  the  track  raiser 
to  become  so  expert  that  he  will  not  raise  the  joints 
too  high  or  too  low.  Once  this  method  is  mastered, 
however,  vastly  greater  progress  can  be  made. 

159 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


Men  Filling  for  Jacks — Two  men  should  be  assigned 
to  each  jack,  to  fill-in  ballast  for  the  tampers.  The 
best  men,  and  plenty  of  men,  should  be  used  around 
the  jacks.  With  a  gang  organized  in  this  manner,  two 
jacks  will  raise  as  much  track  as  a  gang  of  67  men  can 
finish,  when  the  raise  is  not  more  than  6  in. 

Levelboard  Men — The  level  man  should  stay  with 
the  jacks  and  see  that  both  sides  are  brought  up  to- 
gether. If  one  side  of  the  track  is  brought  up  first  and 
tamped,  the  first  side  will.be  raised  too  high  when  the 
other  side  is  leveled,  because  the  tie  will  rest  on  the 
ballast  at  its  outer  end  and  tip  up ;  also  this  will  leave 
a  space  under  the  tie  where  there  is  no  ballast.  The 
levelboard  man  should  set  the  spotboard  block  for 
the  foreman.  Or  the  level  may  be  trimmed  down  to 
the  correct  height  on  one  side  and  used  instead  of  a 
spotboard  block. 

Hammer  Man — The  hammer  man  should  carry  a 
wooden  sledge  and  not  a  spike  maul.  The  track  should 
never  be  lifted  so  high  that  more  than  one  or  two 
blows  will  be  required  to  bring  it  down  to  the  spot. 
The  hammer  man  should  carry  an  extra  spotboard 
block,  so  that  the  joint  may  be  sighted  and  knocked 
down  while  the  jacks  are  being  moved  ahead. 

Men  Filling  Ends — Eight  men,  four  on  a  side,  should 
fill-in  for  the  tampers.  This  work  should  be  care- 
fully supervised,  as  a  tie  tamped  with  insufficient  bal- 
last represents  wasted  work. 

Organization  of  Tampers — The  tampers  should  be 
organized  to  tamp  the  track  in  the  following  manner : 
If  there  are  four  pairs  of  tampers  on  the  ends,  each 
side,  the  head  pair  should  tamp  every  fourth  tie,  the 
next  pair  the  tie  behind  that,  the  third  gang  the  next 

160 


SURFACING    NEW    TRACK 


to  the  last  tie,  and  the  last  gang  the  last  tie.  The 
center  tampers  should  follow  a  similar  system.  Be- 
sides keeping  the  men  working  close  together,  without 
interfering  with  each  other,  this  method  makes  it  pos- 
sible to  get  more  work  out  of  men  who  would  other- 
wise "soldier."  And,  more  important  still,  the  track 
as  a  whole  is  tamped  in  a  more  uniform  manner. 
Under  the  old  method,  where  each  pair  of  tampers  was 
assigned  a  rail  or  half-rail  length,  the  sections  tamped 
by  the  best  tampers  stood  up  better  than  the  rest,  and 
consequently  the  track  settled  unevenly  and  became 
rough.  Where  the  good  tamping  is  mixed  with  the 
poor,  the  whole  track  is  more  likely  to  settle  uniformly. 

Center  Filling  and  Tamping — The  centers  should  be 
tamped  about  16  in.  inside  the  rail  on  low  lifts  and 
all  the  way  across  on  high  lifts.  The  men  filling-in 
should  not  be  allowed  to  rob  some  places'  of  gravel  and 
leave  a  surplus  in  others. 

Tamping  Tools — When  the  lift  is  more  than  \y2  in. 
it  is  better  to  allow  for  settlement  and  tamp  with 
shovels  instead  of  tamping  bars  (except  in  stone  bal- 
last). When  the  raise  is  small  and  the  bed  is  hard,  the 
tamping  bar  is  the  most  efficient  tool ;  but  it  is  seldom 
that  tamping  with  bars  is  profitable  in  surfacing  new 
track,  as  the  subgrade  settles  so  much  that  the  track 
will  get  out  of  surface,  no  matter  how  well  the  tamping 
has  been  done. 

Recently  tamping  machines,  which  operate  by  air, 
have  been  put  on  the  market  and  used  successfully. 
There  is  no  question  but  that  they  are  of  exceptional 
value  around  interlocking  plants,  or  at  other  points 
where  it  is  hard  to  do  tamping  with  picks. 

The  Track  Raiser — An  active  man  with  a  good  eye 

161 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


makes  the  best  track  raiser.  He  should  be  careful  to 
sight  from  about  the  same  distance  back  of  his  jack 
each  time,  and  should  raise  joints  and  centers  with 
the  spot,  thus  making  it  unnecessary  for  the  laborers 
to  double  back  and  raise  the  centers.  In  other  words, 
he  should  raise  the  joint,  then  the  center  ahead  to  the 
spot,  then  the  joint  ahead,  etc. 

Foreman  and  Assistant  Foremen — One  of  the  assist- 
ant foremen  should  raise  the  track  and  the  other 
should  look  after  the  tamping.  The  foreman  should 
keep  a  general  supervision  over  the  whole  work,  look 
after  the  flagmen,  watch  the  time  cards,  and  see  that 
no  part  of  the  work  is  holding  up  the  gang.  If  the 
jacks  are  inclined  to  lag,  more  or  better  men  should  be 
put  around  them ;  if  the  end  tampers  are  holding  back 
the  center  tampers,  the  force  should  be  rearranged. 
The  track  foreman  should  constantly  be  studying  out 
new  ways  of  arranging  the  men  or  the  work,  to  lessen 
the  amount  of  labor  necessary  in  raising  a  given 
amount  of  track.  Many  foremen  hang  to  the  methods 
which  they  learned  when  they  were  first  employed  on 
track,  and  consequently  do  not  get  out  as  good  or  as 
much  work  as  a  man  who  is  up-to-date. 

Tamping  Centers — Track  centers  must  be  tamped 
when  making  a  high  lift,  and  this  is  especially  true 
of  mud  or  dirt-ballasted  tracks.  When  making  a  low 
raise  on  an  old  track  the  centers  should  be  tamped  for 
about  16  in.  inside  each  rail,  but  not  directly  in  the 
center  of  the  track,  as  that  is  likely  to  cause  center 
binding.  When  tamping  centers  all  the  way  across, 
the  heaviest  tamping  should  be  next  to  and  under  the 
rail,  but  the  ballast  should  be  tamped  under  the  center 
sufficiently  to  completely  fill  the  space  and  not  leave 

162 


SURFACING    NEW    TRACK 


pockets  which  may  be  filled  by  the  first  rain.  On  a 
bridge  approach  the  track  should  be  raised  higher  than 
the  bridge.  The  fill  settles  and  the  embankment  tends 
to  spread,  while  the  bridge  stays  up.  Such  places 
should  be  inspected  and  raised  again  after  each  rain,  if 
necessary. 

Lining  Track — The  foreman,  in  lining  track,  should 
stand  with  his  back  to  the  sun,  if  possible.  For  lining 
out  long  swings  he  should  stand  as  far  away  from  the 
gang  as  possible,  giving  his  orders  entirely  by  motions. 
In  this  way  he  can  line  the  joints  and  centers  to  an 
approximate  line,  or  if  necessary,  he  can  take  every 
fourth  or  fifth  joint  and  throw  this  to  correct  line,  and 
then  go  back  and  line  the  rest  of  the  track  to  these 
correct  points.  In  lining  out  short  kinks,  where  the 
general  line  is  correct,  the  foreman  should  get  much 
closer  to  the  gang,  so  that  he  can  see  the  small  imper- 
fections. 

In  lining  up-grade  the  foreman  should  sight  the 
track  from  both  directions,  as  this  is  a  point  where  the 
line  frequently  is  not  good,  because  the  track  beyond 
the  summit  cannot  be  seen.  The  foreman  will  save  a 
good  deal  of  time  by  looking  at  such  a  piece  of  track 
from  both  directions  before  he  starts  work  on  it.  Par- 
ticular pains  are  required  in  lining  the  points  of  curves 
and  the  adjacent  tangent  track.  The  foreman  should 
look  at  such  places  from  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  to  be  sure  that  he  get  the  track  in  correct  line. 

The  policy  of  leaving  long  swings  in  the  track,  rather 
than  to  take  the  time  and  trouble  to  line  them  out,  is  to 
be  strictly  .condemned.  The  writer  knew  of  an  in- 
stance where  a  swing  of  6  in.  was  taken  out  of  a  piece 
of  track,  it  requiring  about  three-fourths  of  a  day  of  a 

163 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


large  extra  gang's  time.  This  track  had  been  gone 
over  by  two  extra  gangs  before  that  time,  both  gangs 
having  left  the  swing  in  the  track  rather  than  spend 
the  time  to  correct  it.  The  foreman  who  finally  took 
it  out  got  a  black  mark  for  spending  so  much  time  at 
lining. 

The  proper  length  of  string  to  use  for  lining  curves 
is  62  ft.  The  deflection  at  the  middle  of  such  a 
string  will  be  1  in.  for  each  degree  of  curve.  For 
instance,  on  a  6  deg.  curve,  the  rail  should  be  lined 
within  6  in.  of  the  string  at  its  center.  The  cord  can 
then  be  moved  ahead  a  half  length,  or  31  ft.,  and 
another  point  lined  out  6  in.  from  the  center  of  the 
string,  and  so  on,  all  the  wray  around  the  curve.  The 
parts  of  the  track  between  these  points  should  then  be 
lined  by  eye.  Many  railways  are  now  spiralling  or 
easing  their  curves.  (This  may  also  be  done  by  the 
use  of  a  string.  See  Rench's  'book,  "Simplified  Curve 
and  Switch  Work.") 

Height  of  Raise — A  raise  up  to  9  in.  may  be  made 
in  one  lift.  If  more  than  a  6  in.  raise  is  being  made, 
however,  t\vo  "swing  jacks"  should  be  used  in  advance 
of  the  raising  jacks,  to  spring  the  track  up  enough  so 
that  the  rails  will  not  be  surface  bent.  No  tamping  is 
necessary  with  the  forward  jacks,  as  the  ballast  will 
run  in  sufficiently  to  hold  the  track  up.  W7here  a  12  in. 
raise  is  being  made  there  should  be  two  lifts.  After 
making  the  first  lift  in  stone  ballast,  the  stone  should 
simply  be  bladed-in  clear  across  the  tie  and  not  bar 
tamped.  On  the  second  lift  the  bars  or  tamping  picks 
shcmld  be  used  and  the  centers  tamped  16  in.  inside 
the  rail.  When  a  raise  of  9  in.  or  over  is  being  made, 
the  track  should  not  be  shouldered  up  until  the 

164 


SURFACING    NEW    TRACK 


smoothing  gang  has  gone  over  the  work  and  picked  up 
the  low  spots  which  have  developed. 

'General  Notes — When  starting  a  new  gang  the  fore- 
man should  be  careful  to  see  that  the  tamping  is  done 
right.  New  men  are  likely  to  tamp  against  the  side 
and  not  under  the  tie,  particularly  if  the  raise  is  2  in. 
or  less.  It  is  difficult  for  some  men  to  grasp  the  idea 
of  how  to  shovel-tamp  a  tie,  and  the  foreman  will  have 
to  exercise  a  good  deal  of  patience  in  teaching  them. 
It  is  best  to  teach  by  example,  the  foreman  or  assistant 
foreman  taking  hold  of  the  shovel  and  making  the 
motions  slowly,  so  that  the  green  man  may  gradually 
learn  how  it  is  done. 

When  filling-in  for  the  tampers,  the  assistant  fore- 
man or  foreman  should  not  allow  gravel  to  be  taken 
from  a  spot  where  it  is  short,  nor  should  he  allow  the 
men  to  dig  borrow  pits.  If  this  work  is  watched  close- 
ly and  the  ballast  cast  from  places  where  there  is  too 
much,  to  places  where  there  is  not  enough,  there  will 
be  little  redistribution  to  make  behind  the  surfacing 
gang. 

The  track  should  be  lined  daily,  before  filling  cen- 
ters. If  the  track  is  not  too  tight,  it  should  be  lined 
at  night  and  centers  filled  in  as  close  up  to  the  front  as 
possible,  in  order  to  be  prepared  for  rain.  If  the  track 
is  tight  it  may  be  impossible  to  line  the  kinks  out  of 
it  until  the  following  morning,  when  the  rails  have 
contracted. 

The  track  should  be  dressed,  finally,  to  the  standards 
of  the  road.  A  template  is  a  very  handy  appliance  for 
use  in  shouldering.  It  consists  of  a  long  plank,  similar 
to  the  spotboard,  which  is  laid  across  the  track,  having 
depending  boards  placed  at  the  proper  points  to  indi- 

165 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


cate  the  edge  of  the  shoulder,  its  top  and  slope.    A  ballast 
spreader  can  also  be  used  for  shouldering. 

It  is  difficult  for  most  section  foremen  to  take 
hold  of  a  new  section  and  handle  the  raising  in  a  satis- 
factory manner.  New  track  goes  out  of  line  and  sur- 
face in  so  many  places  that  one  is  at  a  loss  to  know 
where  to  btgin.  If  it  is  desired  only  to  smooth  up  new 
track,  the  foreman  should  carry  the  level  personally, 
and  it  might  be  well  to  say  here  that  if  track  is  level, 
even  if  it  is  rough,  it  will  ride  fairly  well — much  better 
than  track  which  is  somewhat  smoother  and  not  level. 

It  often  occurs  that  each  individual  rail  is  in  fair 
surface,  and  yet  the  track  is  out  of  level,  the  rail  run- 
ning lower  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other.  Such 
a  condition  causes  the  weight  of  the  trains  to  be 
thrown  unequally  on  the  rails,  thus  tending  to  increase 
the  settlement  on  the  low  side.  "Ry  always  using  the 
level  board  this  defect  will  be  gradually  corrected.  Some 
foremen  make  the  mistake  of  thinking  they  can  tell 
when  track  is  level,  by  the  eye.  We  have  heard  many 
trackmen  boast  that  they  can  do  this,  but  have  never  seen 
any  one  prove  it  in  a  test. 

New  track  should  be  raised  high,  especially  if  it  is 
down  and  the  mud  shows  occasionally  between  the  ties. 
Even  the  second  lift  on  new  track  should,  in  general, 
be  2  or  3  inches,  and  a  6  in.  lift  will  frequently  prove 
most  profitable.  However,  the  track  must  not  be  raised 
so  high  that  there  will  not  be  enough  ballast  around 
the  ties  to  prevent  sun  kinks.  With  heavy,  coarse 
gravel  there  is  not  as  much  danger  of  sun  kinks  as  with 
fine  gravel.  Good  judgment  must  be  used  in  putting 
the  track  up  only  so  high  that  the  ballast  dressed  in  will 
be  sufficient  to  hold  it  in  line  of  surface. 

166 


SURFACING    NEW    TRACK 


Testing  for  Level — A  foreman  can  test  straight  track 
for  level  as  follows:  Find  a  spot  where  the  track  is 
level,  place  the  level  board  on  the  hand  car  and  block  it 
to  read  level.  Then  push  the  car  along  slowly  and 
notice  how  the  bubble  varies  and  where  the  low  rail 
changes  from  side  to  side. 

Records — Records  made  in  surfacing  track  are  a  fine 
endorsement  for  a  foreman,  provided  the  work  stays 
up,  or  provided  he  gets  far  enough  away  before  it  goes 
down  so  that  he  cannot  be  held  responsible.  But  low 
lifts  and  omitted  tamping  on  a  new  track  simply  repre- 
sent company  money  thrown  away,  although  the  indi- 
viduals concerned  sometimes  succeed  in  attaining  their 
own  advancement.  This  condition  would  not  exist  if 
less  emphasis  were  laid  on  the  number  of  feet  of  track 
laid  per  day  and  more  attention  paid  to  the  quality  of 
the  work.  As  it  is  now,  in  many  cases,  those  in  charge 
of  the  track  foremen  look  only  at  the  amounts  of  track 
raised  and  so  they  encourage  poor  work. 

*Cost  of  Surfacing  Track — The  following  costs  were 
obtained  with  a  gang  organized  somewhat  as  follows, 
varying  the  number  of  men  filling-in  and  tamping  track 
as  conditions  required : 

1  spot  board  man,  1  level-board  man, 

2  jack   hole  diggers,  1  hammer  man, 

6  jack  men,  8  men  filling  ends, 

4  jack  tampers,  16  men  tamping  ends, 

4  men   filling  in  for  jack                  8  men  filling  centers, 

tampers,  12  men  tamping  centers. 

The  costs  have  been  shown  under  two  divisions.  In 
the  first  portion  the  rate  paid  laborers  was  $2.00  per 
day,  the  work  being  done  in  the  cool,  early  spring 


*From   an   article    contributed   by   the   author   and   Charles   L/.   Van 
Auken,  to  Engineering  and  Contracting. 

167 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


months,  from  April  17,  to  May  28,  1913.  The  costs  in 
the  second  part  represent  totals  where  the  ordinary 
rate  for  laborers  was  $2.25  per  day,  work  being  done  in 
the  summer  months  from  June  7  to  October  3,  1913. 

The  total  cost  chargeable  to  track  raising  during  the 
early  period  was  $5,064.00  for  raising  60,100  ft.  of  track, 
an  average  raise  of  6  in.  This  figures  out  about  $445.00 
per  mile,  including  lining  and  dressing  up  the  track  to 
standard. 

The  total  costs  chargeable  to  track  raising  during  the 
period  with  laborers  at  $2.25  per  day  was  $7,850.00  for 
74,400  ft.  with  an  average  raise  of  6  in.,  which  figures 
out  $560.00  per  mile.  These  figures  also  include  dress- 
ing track  to  standard. 

In  both  cases  the  ballast  was  clean  gravel,  but  too 
fine  to  make  the  most  rapid  progress.  It  was,  however, 
quite  easily  and  quickly  tamped.  The  track  was  shovel- 
tamped  only,  clear  across  the  ties,  as  the  softness  of  the 
grade  precluded  the  possibility  of  center-bound  track. 

Especial  emphasis  should  be  given  these  costs  as  they 
give  comparison  between : 

(1)  Costs  of  doing  work  with  $2.00  labor  and  $2.25 
labor. 

(2)  Unit  costs  in  the  early  spring  and  unit  costs  in 
the  hot  summer  months. 

(3)  The  effect  on  costs  of  breaking  up  and  reorganiz- 
ing a  gang. 

The  first  gang  struck  for  a  raise  of  wages  which  was 
refused,  and  new  men  had  to  be  procured  at  an  increase 
of  25c  per  day  and  a  very  poor  class  of  laborers  was 
obtained,  due  to  the  summer  demand.  The  gang  hired 
in  the  early  spring  was  American  labor,  while  many 
foreigners  were  included  in  the  second  gang.  The  figures 

168 


SURFACING    NEW    TRACK 


show  that  work  in  spring  months  can  be  done  much 
cheaper,  due  to  the  cooler  weather  and  the  fact  that 
better  laborers  can  be  obtained  at  lower  wages. 

The  cost  of  breaking-in  or  organizing  a  new  gang  is 
not  generally  appreciated  by  many  railway  men.  The 
costs  were  so  much  greater  in  this  case  that  the  con- 
tractor would  have  been  justified  in  raising  the  wages 
of  the  old  gang  to  at  least  $3.00  per  day.  The  work 
done  in  the  spring  was  20%  cheaper  than  that  done  in 
the  summer. 

Two  reasons  are  given  for  the  low  unit  cost  of  this 
work — ample  supervision  and  quality  labor.  Few  rail- 
roads would  allow  three  assistants  and  one  general 
foreman  at  a  total  of  $15.50  per  day  to  supervise  a  gang 
averaging  about  70  men.  The  railroad  gang  of  this  size 
is  usually  supervised  by  one  foreman  and  one  assistant, 
totaling  about  $6.50  per  day.  And  notwithstanding  this 
poor  supervision  the  railroads  pay  less  for  their  laborers 
and  get  men  who  are  in  much  greater  need  of  supervi- 
sion. The  work  described  herein  was  done  by  a  con- 
tractor. 

The  same  foreman  handled  both  gangs  and  the  costs 
in  each  case  include  the  extra  cost  of  organizing,  as  each 
gang  was  made  up  from  new  shipments  of  men.  The 
writer's  experience  would  indicate  that  $445.00  per  mile 
for  giving  a  6-in.  raise  and  dressing  up  track,  is  one  that 
it  is  impossible  for  many  railway  company  gangs  to  even 
approach,  at  the  prevailing  wages  of  $1.50  to  $1.75  per 
day. 

The  conclusions  to  be  deduced  from  the  above  is  that 
it  is  highly  profitable  to : 

(1)  Allow  ample  supervision — say  one  assistant  fore- 
man to  each  25  men. 

169 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


(2)  Hire  men  as  early  as  possible  in  the  spring. 

(3)  Pay  quality  prices  and  obtain  quality  labor. 

(4)  Push  the  work  vigorously  in  the  cool  months. 

(5)  Use  every  possible  means  to  retain  an  experienced 
and  organized  gang — it  will  pay  well. 

(6)  Raise  the  wages  of  old  men  rather  than  hire  in- 
experienced, incompetent  men. 


170 


CHAPTER  IX. 
YARD  CONSTRUCTION. 

The  design  and  layout  of  terminal  freight  yards  vary 
considerably  with  the  location,  size,  available  space  and 
purpose ;  and  few  laws  can  be  said  to  govern  all  cases. 
In  the  matter  of  construction,  however,  there  are  many 
points  that  are  invariably  essential,  no  matter  what  the 
design  or  location. 

Grading — In  the  majority  of  cases,  large  terminal 
freight  yards  are  constructed  upon  .low,  level  ground 
where  little  or  no  excavation  will  be  required  and  grad- 
ing therefore  consists  mainly  of  filling.  For  this  reason 
the  work  of  grading  is  similar  to  that  for  track  eleva- 
tion and  the  necessary  fill  is  usually  hauled  to  the  site 
by  work  trains  from  nearby  sand  or  gravel  pits.  It  is 
quite  essential  that  terminal  freight  yards,  where  a  large 
amount  of  switching  is  done,  should  be  easily  drained 
of  surface  water,  and  drainage  is  made  much  more  sim- 
ple and  certain  when  yard  tracks  are  constructed  upon  a 
fill. 

If  the  fill  is  low  and  the  ground  firm  enough  to  sup- 
port trains  without  serious  damage  to  track  or  equip- 
ment, the  tracks  may  be  laid  approximately  in  the  final 
position,  and  the  filling  distributed  from  each  track,  after 
which  each  track  is  raised  as  high  as  possible  with  the 
distributed  filling  material  and  thus  made  ready  for  addi- 
tional trains.  This  method  is  repeated  until  the  tracks 
are  up  to  the  desired  grade.  Earthwork  in  large  quan- 
tities is  handled  most  advantageously  by  machinery,  the 
cars  being  loaded  at  the  pit  by  steam  shovels  and  un- 

171 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


loaded  by  center  or  side  plows  operated  by  a  Lidger- 
wood.  Side-door  gondola  cars  with  sheet  metal  aprons 
between  are  convenient  with  this  method.  The  unloading 
plow  is  pulled  through  the  train  from  the  rear  to  the  car 
immediately  behind  the  Lidgerwood.  If  a  "heavy  spread" 
is  desired,  cars  are  plowed  with  the  train  standing,  while 
a  "light  spread"  is  obtained  by  plowing  with  the  train 
moving,  the  desired  amount  of  material  being  unloaded 
by  varying  the  speed  of  the  train  while  plowing.  When 
plowing  "heavy"  the  foreman  must  see  that  the  rail  is 
kept  clear  of  large  stones  and  boulders,  and  that  it  is  not 
buried  so  deep  as  to  cause  derailment  and  delay  when 
the  empty  train  is  pulled  out.  When  the  train  is  un- 
loaded it  is  pulled  to  a  siding,  where  the  Lidgerwood 
and  car  containing  the  plow  are  cut  off.  The  Lidgerwood 
is  then  switched  to  the  front  of  a  train  of  "loads"  and 
the  car  with  the  plow  to  the  rear  of  this  train.  Upon  a 
parallel  track  (13-ft.  centers)  a  box  car,  fitted  with  a 
cantilever  arm,  is  brought  alongside  the  Lidgerwood. 
The  cable  which  pulls  the  plow  is  attached  to  the  canti- 
lever arm  on  the  box  car  and  by  pushing  the  box  car  to 
the  rear  of  the  train,  the  cable  is  unrolled  from  the 
Lidgerwood  drum  and  stretched  over  the  train  of  loads 
on  the  adjacent  track  to  connect  with  the  plow  on  the 
rear  car. 

When  unloading  on  a  curved  track  the  cable  pulling 
the  plow  must  be  secured  at  suitable  intervals  to  assure 
the  pull  being  approximately  tangent  to  the  body  of 
gondola  cars,  so  that  the  plow  will  not  tend  to  cut 
through  the  side  of  a  car. 

With  a  high  fill  and  in  hump  and  gravity  yards,  it  is 
usually  found  more  desirable  to  build  one  or  more  tem- 

172 


YARD    CONSTRUCTION 


porary  tracks  from  which  to  construct  the  fill  for  the 
entire  yard. 

The  method  above  described  is  used  to  get  the  tem- 
porary track  to  its  approximate  grade  and  then  from  this 
the  fill  is  widened  out  by  unloading  with  a  side  plow 
and  spreading  with  a  "Bulldozer"  or  mechanical  spreader. 
When  fill  has  thus  been  constructed  alongside  as  far  out 
as  the  spreader  wings  will  reach,  the  track  is  thrown  or 
lined  over  with  lining  bars  to  the  edge  of  the  newly 
made  bank  and  the  process  repeated,  this  finally  com- 
pleting the  grading  for  the  entire  width  of  the  yard. 

Staking  Out  Tracks — In  laying  out  ladder  tracks  either 
the  engineer's  instruments  or  an  ordinary  tape  line  may 
be  used.  In  tables  4  and  13,  at  the  back  of  the  book,  are 
given  information  which  can  be  used  by  any  track  man 
to  lay  out  a  switch  of  any  angle  from  No.  6  to  No.  14. 
The  proper  procedure  is  to  start  at  the  point  of  frog 
leading  off  from  the  main  track  to  the  lead  and  mark 
points  at  every  100  ft.  along  the  main  track  from  which 
the  lead  turns  off.  Then,  starting  back  at  the  first  100-ft. 
point,  a  distance  of  12  ft.  6^  in.  (as  shown  in  column  2, 
table  13)  should  be  laid  off  at  right  angles  to  the  rail 
and  a  stake  driven  at  this  point.  At  the  200-ft.  point  a 
stake  should  be  set  25  ft.  1%  in.,  as  shown  in  column  3; 
at  the  300-ft.  point  the  stake  should  be  set  37  ft.  7^  in., 
as  shown  in  column  4 ;  at  the  next  station  the  stake 
should  be  set  50  ft.  2^g  in.,  as  shown  in  column  5,  and 
at  the  500-ft.  station  a  stake  should  be  set  62  ft.  and  9  in. 
from  the  old  track.  Table  4  shows  the  distances  between 
ladder  frog  points  measured  along  the  ladder,  for  dif- 
ferent track  centers.  Assuming  for  the  No.  8  frog  that 
the  tracks  are  to  be  13  ft.  apart,  in  column  4  of  table  4, 
it  will  be  found  that  the  frogs  should  then  be  located 

173 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


104  ft.  5  in.  apart  all  along  the  ladder.  The  frog  points 
can  then  be  laid  out  104  ft.  5  in.  apart  along  the  line  es- 
tablished by  the  stakes  originally  set. 

Distribution  of  Material — The  distribution  of  material 
is  a  matter  which  requires  much  skill  and  experience. 
If  the  material  is  properly  distributed  the  work  can  be 
done  speedily,  while  if  the  material  is  not  properly  dis- 
tributed general  confusion  will  result,  causing  delay  and 
added  expense. 

On  large  construction  jobs,  material  yards  are  built. 
All  material  is  shipped  to  this  yard,  and  it  is  checked  up 
before  being  distributed.  From  this  point  material  is 
sorted,  loaded,  and  carried  by  train  as  near  to  the  place 
where  it  is  to  be  used  as  possible.  Track  material  for  the 
leads  or  ladder  tracks  is  placed  near  the  point  where  the 
lead  runs  into  the  main  track,  or  previously  existing 
track.  Sometimes  a  temporary  track  is  laid  on  the  site 
of  the  proposed  lead,  and  all  material  for  the  leads  is 
distributed  from  this  track.  When  no  temporary  track 
is  laid,  the  material  for  each  switch  is  carried  forward 
on  push  cars  running  on  the  ladder  track  which  has  just 
been  laid.  Material  for  the  tracks  between  the  leads 
is  distributed  either  from  the  temporary  track,  or  by  bring- 
ing np  material  from  the  rear  by  push  cars  running  on  the 
newly-laid  track,  and  then  carrying  it  ahead  by  hand. 
When  one  track  is  laid  clear  through  the  entire  yard, 
material  for  the  two  adjacent  tracks  is  distributed  from 
trains  running  on  this  track,  and  this  method  is  repeated 
then  with  the  next  track,  and  so  on  across  the  entire  yard 
until  all  of  the  track  material  is  on  the  ground  in  the 
proper  place. 

If  material  is  not  properly  distributed  there  will  be  a 
tendency  on  the  parts  of  the  individual  foremen  to  supply 

174 


YARD    CONSTRUCTION 


their  needs  from  the  nearest  source,  without  regard  to 
whether  such  material  is  needed  at  the  place  it  was  taken 
from.  When  this  practice  is  resorted  to,  general  con- 
fusion and  delay  result  immediately.  It  is  far  more  eco- 
nomical to  provide  proper  and  early  distribution  of  ma- 
terial. In  ordinary  practice,  even  with  skillful  men, 
material  cannot  be  perfectly  distributed  for  all  parts  of 
the  work  on  any  piece  of  construction  of  considerable 
size.  It  is  therefore  customary  and  good  practice  to 
keep  a  material  gang  constantly  on  the  work.  When  not 
employed  with  material  this  gang  may  be  used  to  help 
out  in  other  lines  of  work.  This  gang  should  promptly 
take  care,  of  material  that  has  been  used  in  temporary 
work.  If  this  is  not  done,  in  large  cities  there  is  a  pos- 
sibility that  the  material  may  be  stolen.  This  is  espe- 
cially true  of  timber. 

The  work  of  handling  material  properly  is  seen  to  be 
of  primary  importance,  for  without  material  the  work  of 
construction  cannot  be  commenced  and  even  when  once 
commenced  it  is  at  all  times  dependent  upon  material  for 
its  continuance  and  completion. 

Laying  Switches — As  soon  as  the  track  material  is  on 
the  ground  the  laying  of  the  switches  is  commenced.  For 
this  work  a  gang  of  about  twenty  men  with  foreman  and 
one  assistant,  or  a  gang  of  about  forty  men  with  a  fore- 
man and  two  assistants  will  be  found  economical.  This 
assumes  that  the  laborers  employed  are  foreigners  or  a 
class  of  men  not  familiar  with  the  work.  Under  these 
circumstances  larger  gangs  cannot  be  conveniently  han- 
dled for  the  foreman  must  not  only  watch  each  and  every 
part  of  the  work,  but  he  must  also,  from  time  to  time, 
demonstrate  the  method  of  using  tools. 

Laying  Yard  Tracks — The  yard  tracks  between  the 

175 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


two  ladders  are  usually  straight  and  their  construction  is 
much  more  simple  than  the  construction  of  the  switches. 
Sometimes  second-hand  or  used  material  only  is  fur- 
nished and  often  rails  of  varying  lengths  and  different 
weights  are  used.  This  fact  introduces  many  little  difficulties 
which  do  not  arise  in  main-line  construction  where  new 
material  is  used ;  but  as  yard  tracks  are  never  used  for 
high  speeds  the  niceties  of  construction  may  be  over- 
looked. Here,  as  in  many  phases  of  railroad  work  the 
object  is  not  to  produce  a  perfect  piece  of  work,  but  to 
make  it  amply  adequate  for  the  purpose  in  view  in  the 
quickest  possible  time,  and  with  the  least  expenditure. 

The  best  way  to  lay  the  tracks  in  a  large  yard  is  to  first 
lay  the  track  at  the  center  of  the  yard,  using  the  iron  car. 
The  material  for  the  two  adjacent  tracks  may  then  be  un- 
loaded from  this  track,  the  material  train  being  followed 
by  one  or  two  track  gangs,  putting  down  the  adjacent 
track  or  tracks.  If  the  work  is  organized  right  and  this 
method  followed,  it  will  run  along  systematically  and 
there  will  always  be  at  least  one  track,  and  generally  two, 
from  which  the  material  trains  can  work. 

Sometimes  it  is  desired  to  run  the  construction  of  the 
yard  faster  than  the  method  mentioned  in  the  last  chapter 
would  allow.  In  that  case,  it  is  customary  to  lay  every 
second  or  third  track  throughout  the  yard,  possibly  laying 
them  on  the  ground  and  raising  them  to  the  correct  eleva- 
tion by  unloading,  filling  and  making  successive  lifts  of 
the  track.  The  fill  for  the  grade  of  the  adjacent  track  may 
be  made  with  a  spreader,  and  the  material  for  adjacent 
tracks  may  be  distributed  from  the  track  from  which  the 
filling  was  made.  Building  a  yard  in  this  manner  makes 
it  possible  to  use  a  much  larger  force  of  men  because  there 
will  be  many  tracks  from  which  filling  can  be  unloaded  at 

176 


YARD    CONSTRUCTION 


one  time,  as  well  as  much  grade  ready  for  track  construc- 
tion and  afterward  lots  of  room  for  the  surfacing  gangs 
putting  in  the  ballast. 

It  is  sometimes  desired  to  get  some  filling  into  the 
yard  before  the  ladder  track  is  finished,  in  which  case 
it  is  customary  to  lay  a  temporary  track  outside  of  the 
ladder  and  turn  it  down  into  track  near  the  center  of  the 
yard,  from  which  work  may  be  started. 

Then,  when  the  ladder  is  built  up  to  this  point  this 
track  can  be  connected  in  behind  one  of  the  frogs  and 
become  one  of  the  permanent  tracks.  Whenever  laying 
temporary  tracks  on  a  yard  site,  information  should 
be  obtained,  if  stakes  have  not  already  been  set,  as  to 
just  where  the  tracks  should  center.  Then,  when  laying 
the  temporary  track  it  may  be  placed  on  the  center  line 
of  one  of  the  permanei  •;  track  5  and  thus  save  rebuilding 
it,  or  building  a  new  track. 

Surfacing — The  surfacing  gang  follows  the  track-lay- 
ing crew.  The  surfacing  material,  usually  sand,  gravel 
or  cinders,  is  unloaded  from  cars  by  hand,  by  the  method 
described  for  earthwork,  or  by  patent  dump  cars,  and 
then  spread  by  means  of  plows.  A  method  of  spreading 
material  sometimes  used  where  no  mechanical  spreader 
is  provided,  is  to  run  the  rear  wheels  of  the  rear  truck 
of  the  train  upon  iron  shoes  which  slide  upon  the  rail 
and  hook  over  a  tie  placed  upon  the  rails  directly  in  front 
of  the  wheels.  This  arrangement  forms  a  flat-faced  plow 
which  spreads  the  material  even  with  the  top  of  the  rail, 
and  prevents  the  material  from  getting  under  the  wheels 
and  derailing  the  gravel  train. 

After  the  track  has  been  surfaced,  it  is  dressed  up  ac- 
cording to  the  standard  required  by  the  engineer  in 
charge  and  then  is  complete  and  ready  for  use. 

177 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


A  top  layer  of  cinders  of  shallow  depth  over  the  entire 
yard  has  been  found  desirable  to  supply  a  firm  walking 
surface  free  from  mud.  When  thoroughly  packed  a  layer 
of  cinders  will  readily  allow  water  to  pass  through  and 
will  also  present  a  good  walking  surface  shortly  after  a 
severe  rain  storm,  where  proper  drainage  is  supplied. 

Sewers  and  Drains — The  necessity  for  providing  ade- 
quate drainage  for  terminal  and  switching  yards  cannot 
be  over-emphasized.  Failure  to  supply  an  ample  and 
properly  planned  and  constructed  drainage  system  may 
make  an  entire  portion  of  a  yard  useless  in  wet  seasons. 
Not  only  will  tracks  settle  so  as  to  be  out  of  service,  but 
in  some  cases  portions  of  the  yard  will  be  impassable 
on  foot. 

When  putting  in  the  drainage  system  after  the  fill  has 
been  made  and  the  track  laid  in  the  yards,  there  will  be 
a  good  deal  of  difficulty  in  holding  up  the  ballast,  which 
is  usually  loose  and  ready  to  run,  and  in  getting  the 
trenches  dug  beneath  the  track.  When  doing  this  work 
the  ditch  should  be  kept  carefully  sheeted  up  all  the 
time,  otherwise  cave-ins  are  likely  to  develop,  especially 
if  it  rains.  A  few  cave-ins  will  double  the  cost  of  the 
work. 

The  course  of  the  drains  having  been  decided,  the 
engineers  stake  out  the  center  lines  and  place  grade 
stakes  (usually  called  "cut  stakes")  at  convenient  inter- 
vals. On  each  stake  is  marked  the  depth  of  the  bottom 
of  the  trench  below  the  top  of  the  stake.  The  width  of 
the  top  of  the  ditch  depends  upon  the  depth,  the  width 
desired  at  the  bottom,  and  the  material  in  which  the 
excavation  is  being  made.  Lines  are  stretched  along 
the  surface  of  the  ground  to  mark  the  limits  within 
which  to  excavate.  LTsually,  conditions  do  not  warrant 

178 


YARD    CONSTRUCTION 


the  use  of  trenching  machines,  and  the  excavation  is 
done  by  hand  labor. 

A  long,  straight  edge,  with  a  track  level  on  top  of  it, 
placed  on  top  of  a  grade  stake  and  leveled  with  one  end 
held  against  a  graduated  rod  placed  in  the  trench,  will 
give  the  depth  of  the  bottom  at  the  point  where  the  rod 
is  held.  As  soon  as  a  few  feet  of  the  trench  are  com- 
pleted, the  pipe-laying  is  commenced.  It  is  well  to  keep 
the  pipe  laid  right  up  to  the  completed  excavation,  so 
that  in  case  of  "cave-in"  or  excessive  storms,  little  ex- 
cavation will  have  to  be  done  over.  When  the  grade  is 
slight  the  pipe  should  be  laid  level  between  stakes,  ex- 
cept for  the  last  few  lengths,  and  the  entire  grade  for 
the  distance  put  in  the  last  few  lengths.  ^This  will  pre- 
vent running  below  grade  at  any  point,  and  with  the 
class  of  labor  usually  secured  by  railroads,  this  is  a 
necessary  precaution. 

For  building  manholes  and  catch  basins,  a  brick  mason 
should  be  employed.  If  for  any  reason  water  has  a 
tendency  to  collect  and  stand  in  any  part  of  the  yard, 
additions  to  the  drainage  system  should  be  made  to 
remove  the  water. 

When  a  yard  is  located  in  a  low  spot,  the  surface 
water  from  surrounding  land  has  a  tendency  to  flow 
toward  or  into  the  yard,  and  it  is  well  to  dig  "berm" 
ditches  parallel  to  and  alongside  the  yard  and  thus  detour 
the  surface  water.  Standing  surface  water  or  marshes 
adjacent  to  the  yard  should  be  drained  by  ditches  where 
practicable. 

Repairs  During  Construction — Frequently,  when  a  por- 
tion of  a  yard  has  been  completed,  it  is  either  turned  over 
for  use  by  the  operating  department,  by  construction 
trains,  or  is  used  for  storage  purposes.  In  any  case,  in  a 

179 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


new  yard  there  are  frequent  derailments  caused  by  run- 
ning through  switches,  etc.  Considerable  repair  work  is 
necessary  and  in  the  case  of  a  large  yard,  one  entire  track 
gang  may  be  occupied  in  no  work  other  than  repairs. 
This  affords  an  opportunity  to  study  the  faults  of  con- 
struction gangs  and  devise  means  of  correcting  them. 
Thus  in  cases  where  nothing  better  than  lightweight  rail 
and  cedar  ties  are  furnished  for  curves  behind  frogs,  it 
will  often  be  found  necessary  to  replace  soft  ties  with  oak 
ties,  due  to  rail  turning  over  under  heavy  engines.  Heavy 
rail  is  often  substituted  or  provided  in  the  first  place  for 
curves,  and  if  used  on  oak  ties  and  well  braced  with  rail 
braces,  properly  lined  and  superelevated  the  curves 
should  give  no  trouble.  In  extreme  cases  it  may  be 
found  expedient  to  provide  bridle  rods  or  guard  rails. 

It  is  not  unusual  to  find  that  much  sniping  (raising 
low  joints  or  low  spots  in  track)  is  necessary  in  a  new 
yard,  either  on  account  of  the  fill  settling  unevenly,  be- 
coming soft  on  account  of  poor  drainage,  or  failure  to 
secure  proper  tamping  when  surfacing.  When  portions 
of  a  new  yard  are  just  beginning  to  be  used  extensively, 
much  sniping  will  be  found  necessary  to  keep  the  tracks 
in  good  shape,  otherwise  the  surface  of  tracks  soon  be- 
comes so  poor  that  derailments  are  frequent.  Odd  jobs, 
such  as  correcting  poor  gage,  adjusting  bridle  rods  and 
the  throw  of  switches  to  make  points  fit,  keeping  switches 
clear  of  gravel  and  drilling  rails,  etc.,  will  keep  one  fore- 
man and  quite  a  number  of  men  busy,  and  take  time  and 
money,  neither  of  which  is  included  in  the  estimate  in 
many  cases.  In  fact,  it  is  seldom  that  the  item  of  re- 
pairs during  construction  is  considered  from  any  stand- 
point until  it  thrusts  itself  on  the  schedule  and  compels 
immediate  attention. 

180 


APPENDIX. 

Most  foremen  are  familiar  with  the  method  of  laying 
out  a  curve  with  a  100  ft.  line  and  a  rule.  As  few  fore- 
men have  100  ft.  tape  lines  it  is  thought  that  this 
method  applied  to  a  50  ft.  tape  would  be  handier  and 
more  applicable  to  their  use  in  general.  The  illustration, 
Fig.  47,  shows  the  way  this  method  is  used.  The  tape 

Z 


Pig.  47— Diagram  Showing  How  to  Lay  Out 
Curve  With  50-ft.  Tape  and  Rule. 

line  is  stretched  and  lined  up  with  the  turnout  side  of 
the  frog,  the  point  Z  being  the  zero  end  of  the  tape,  the 
point  A  or  frog  point  being  at  the  25  ft.  point,  and  B 
being  the  50  ft.  point.  From  Z  to  B  is  a  straight  line. 
A  distance  is  laid  off  from  B  to  B',  which  is  shown  in 
the  table  as  "Offset  from  tangent  for  25  ft.  chord."  The 
tape  is  then  moved  forward  and  the  zero  point  placed  at 
A  and  stretched  tight  with  its  center  over  B',  its  ex- 

181 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


treme  end  extending  to  C.  From  C  to  C'  a  distance  is 
measured  off  as  shown  in  the  third  column  of  the  table 
called  "Offset  from  Curve  for  25  ft.  chord." 

The  table  is  very  simple,  the  first  column  giving  the 
degree  of  curve  from  which  the  foreman  can  pick  out 
any  degree  which  he  wishes,  from  1  up  to  14.  If  it  is 
a  7  deg.  curve,  his  first  offset  will  be  4^  inches  and 
his  succeeding  offsets  in  each  case  will  be  9^  inches. 

Table  for  Laying  Out  Curves. 

Offset  from  Offset  from 

Deg.  of  Curve  Tangent    for  Curve  for  25  ft. 

25  ft.   Chord.  Chord. 

1  ^8  in.  1J4  in- 

2  1%  in.  25/8  in. 
2      in.  4      in. 

4  25/8  in.  5^4  in. 

5  3^8  in.  6^2  in. 

6  4      in. 

7  4^  in.  9*/8  in. 
5J4  in.  10^  in. 

9  5%  in.  H/4  in. 

1°  6^  in.  1  ft.    \y%  in. 

11  ll/4  in.  1  ft.    2l/2  in. 

32  9^4  in.  1  ft.    3%  in. 

71/8  in.  1  ft.    5      in. 

14.  8^  in.  1ft.    63/8  in. 

Further  information  on  lining  curves  and  laying  out  easement 
curves  with  a  string,  and  examples  for  laying  out  curves  to  reach 
industry  sidings  are  given  in  "Simplified  Curve  and  Switch 
Work,"  by  W.  F.  Rench;  published  by  the  Railway  Educational 
Press,  Inc.,  Chicago. 


182 


GLOSSARY  OF  TRACK  TERMS. 

The  words  in  this  glossary  have  been  collected  largely  from 
the  personal  experience  of  the  author,  and  some  of  them  are 
undoubtedly  local.  The  words  refer  specifically  to  track,  and 
may  have  meanings  totally  different  in  other  trades  or  vocations. 
Furthermore,  a  list  such  as  this  is  susceptible  of  constant  addi- 
tions and  is  not  expected  to  be  complete.  The  author  solicits 
additions  from  practical  track  men.  Several  definitions  are 
taken  from  the  manual  of  the  American  Railway  Engineering 
Association. 

Adjustable  switch  rod,  n. — A  head  rod  carrying  a  device  for 
varying  the  distance  between  the  switch  rails. 

Air-line,  n. — A  main  line  having  highest  class  gradient,  aline- 
ment,  roadbed  and  track. 

Alinement,  n. — The  horizontal  location  of  a  railroad  with  refer- 
ence to  curves  and  tangents. 

Angle  bar,  n. — 

See  (1)   Compromise  angle  bar. 

(2)  Continuous  angle  bar. 

(3)  L.  &  S.  angle  bar. 

(4)  Long-and-short  angle  bar. 

(5)  Long  punch  angle  bar. 

(6)  Offset  angle  bar. 

(7)  Short  punch  angle  bar. 

(8)  Step  angle  bar. 

Apron,  n. — A  short  wide  piece  of  sheet  iron  placed  between  two 
ballast  cars  with  its  ends  on  the  floors,  to  prevent  ballast 
from  falling  on  the  track  when  unloading  with  a  dirt  plow. 

Armstrong,  n. — A  speeder.  A  hand  car  on  which  the  operator 
remains  seated  as  he  propels  the  car. 

Assisting  grade,  n. — The  inclination  given  to  tracks  of  a  yard  to 
facilitate  the  movement  of  cars. 

Automatic  switch  stand,  n. — A  switch  stand  which  will  throw 
automatically  and  allow  a  trailing  train  movement  without 
damage,  when  the  switch  is  lined  up  for  the  wrong  track. 

183 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Backing,  n. — (l)   Rough  stones  used  on  the  back  of  a  masonry 
wall;  (2)  Gravel  or  filling  behind  a  wall  or  abutment. 

Ball,  n. — "Ball  of  rail."     The  top  heavy  portion  of  the  rail  on 
which  the  wheels  run. 

Ballast,  v.  t. — To  raise  a  track,  tamping  and  filling  with  ballast. 

Ballast,  n. — Selected  material  placed  on  the  roadbed  for  the  pur- 
pose of  holding  the  track  in  line  and  surface. 

Ballast,  n.— 

See  (1)   Broken  stone. 

(2)  Burnt  clay. 

(3)  Chats. 

(4)  Chert. 

(5)  Cinders. 

(6)  Disintegrated  granite. 

(7)  Gravel. 

(8)  Slag. 

(9)  Stone. 

Ballast  plow,  n. — (1)   A  plow  for  unloading  ballast  from  cars; 

(2)  A  plow  for  spreading  ballast  which  has  been  dumped  in 

the  center  of  a  track. 
Ballast  stake,  n. — An  engineer's  stake  set  so  that  the  top  is  at 

the  height  the  rail  is  to  be  when  the  track  is  surfaced. 
BalPer,  v.  t. — A  command  to  the  rail  gang,  holding  a  rail,  to 

turn  the  ball  toward  their  bodies. 
Ball-worn,  adj. — "Ball  worn  rail."     A  rail  on  which  the  ball  has 

been  badly  worn. 

Banner,  n. — The  target  of  a  switch  stand. 
Base,  n. — "Base  of  rail."     The  flat,  bottom  part  of  a  rail  which 

sets  on  the  ties. 
Battered,  adj. — "Battered   rail."     A  rail  the  end   of  which  has 

been  pounded  and  flattened  by  passing  wheels. 
Belt,  n. — A  line  built  around  a  city,  for  the  local  distribution  of 

freight. 

Bend,  v.  t. — "Bend  the  rails."    To  throw  a  switch. 
Bent,  n. — The  piles  and  cap,  or  trestle  work,  which  supports 

bridge  stringers. 

Berme,  n. — An   approximately   horizontal   surface   for   the   pro- 
tection of  the  slope  between  the  top  or  toe  of  a  slope  and 

a  boundary  line,  ditch,  or  other  excavation. 

184 


APPENDIX 


Blade,  n. — That  part  of  a  signal  arm  which,  by  its  form  and  po- 
sitions, gives  the  day  signal  indications. 

Blade,  v.  t. — "To  blade-in  ballast."  To  shove  stone  ballast  un- 
der the  ties  with  shovels. 

Block,  n. — A  length  of  track  of  defined  limits,  the  use  of  which 
by  trains  is  controlled  by  block  signals. 

Block,  n.— 

See  (1)   Expansion  block. 

(2)  Filler  block. 

(3)  Heel  block. 

(4)  Nipping  block. 

(5)  Spot  board  blocks. 

Block  signal,  n. — A  fixed  signal  controlling  the  use  of  a  block. 

Block  station,  n. — A  place  from  which  block  signals  are  oper- 
ated. 

Block  system,  n. — A  series  of  consecutive  blocks. 

Blow,  v.  i. — A  hobo  term  meaning  to  quit  the  job,  and  to  leave 
that  section  of  the  country. 

Blow,  v.  i. — To  "blow-in."    A  hobo  term  meaning  to  arrive. 

Board,  n. — A  semaphore  signal. 

Body  track,  n. — Each  of  the  parallel  tracks  of  a  yard  or  group 
of  tracks  upon  which  cars  are  switched  or  stored. 

Bohunks,  n. — Austrians,  Polacks,  or  Bohemians. 

Boil,  v.  t.. — To  "boil  up."    To  wash  clothes,  blankets,  etc. 

Bolted  frog,  n. — A  frog  in  which  the  point  and  wing  rails  are 
held  together  by  bolts. 

Bond,  v.  t. — To  connect  two  track  rails  together  by  wire  at  the 
joint  so  that  an  electric  current  may  pass  around  the  joint. 

Bond  wires,  n. — The  short  wires  used  in  bonding  a  joint. 

Bonded  joint,  n. — A  rail  joint  past  which  an  electric  current  is 
carried  by  bond  wires. 

Boot-leg,  n. — The  part  of  a  line  of  trunking  which  dips  to  pass 
under  a  rail  or  other  obstruction. 

Borrow,  v.  t. — (1)  To  take  material  from  a  borrow  pit;  (2)  n. — 
Material  removed  from  a  borrow  pit. 

Borrow  pit,  n. — An  excavation  made  for  the  purpose  of  obtain- 
ing material  for  a  fill  or  embankment. 

Bounding  post,  n. — A  post  marking  the  division  line  between 
right-of-way  and  other  property.  Same  as  "boundary  post." 

185 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Branch  line,  n. — A  line  of  lesser  importance,  leading  off  from 
main  line. 

Brass  collar,  n. — An  official. 

Break,  v.  t. — "To  break  track."    See  cut,  "to  cut  track." 

Break  up,  v.  t. — "To  break  up  a  train."  To  switch  out  or  make 
a  new  distribution  of  the  cars  in  a  train. 

Break  up,  n. — A  track  or  tracks  where  trains  are  broken  up. 

Bridge  joint,  n. — A  suspended  joint.  A  rail  joint  which  is  sup- 
ported by  one  tie  under  each  end  of  the  joint  fastenings,  but 
which  has  no  tie  directly  beneath  the  meeting  point  of  the 
rails. 

Bridge  sign,  n. — A  small  board  on  which  the  bridge  number  is 
painted. 

Bridle  box,  n. — A  box  for  carrying  bridle  rods  (taken  off  behind 
track  machines)  ahead  on  a  track-laying  machine.  The  box 
is  placed  in  the  tie  trams. 

Bridle  man,  n. — A  man  who  places  bridle  rods  on  the  rails  ahead 
of  a  track  laying  machine. 

Bridle  rod,  n. — A  rod  with  the  ends  turned  up  to  hook  over  the 
outsides  of  the  rail  bases,  and  hold  unspiked  rails  to  gage; 
also  used  to  prevent  spiked  rails  from  spreading. 

Broken  joints,  n. — Rail  joints  which  are  not  opposite  each  other 
in  a  track. 

Broken  stone,  n. — Stone  broken  by  artificial  means  into  small 
fragments  of  specified  sizes,  for  ballast. 

Broomed  rail,  n. — A  rail  the  ball  of  which  has  been  crushed  and 
flattened  in  spots. 

Bubble  man,  n. — The  man  who  carries  the  level  when  surfacing 
track. 

Buck,  v.  t. — (1)  To  move  a  string  of  rails  by  hitting  the  end  of 
the  string  with  another  rail  used  as  a  ram;  the  rail  is 
launched  endways  by  a  number  of  men,  and  delivers  a  sharp 
horizontal  blow;  (2)  To  set  the  end  of  a  rail,  a  switch  point 
or  a  frog,  against  the  end  of  another  rail  already  set  up. 

Buck,  v.  t. — "Bucking  ties."  Carrying  out  and  distributing  ties 
ahead  of  a  track  laying  machine. 

Buck,  v.  t. — "To  buck  up  expansion."  To  decrease  the  expan- 
sion spaces  in  a  track,  by  bucking  up  the  rails. 

Bulk  head,  n. — A  wall  of  wooden  timbers,  behind  which  dirt  is 
confined  or  retained. 

186 


APPENDIX 


Bull  dozer,  n. — A  large  plow  attached  to  the  side  of  a  car,  used 

for  leveling  off  piles  of  dirt  at  the  side  of  a  track. 
Bum,  v.  t. — (1)   To  ride  over  the  country  without  paying  fare. 

(2)  "To  bum  a  lunch."    To  beg  a  lunch. 

Bump,  v.  t. — To  "bump  a  man."   To  displace  a  man  on  a  job. 
Bumping  post,  n. — A  post  anchored  and  braced  at  the  end  of  a 

stub  track  to  stop  cars  or  engines  from  running  off  the  end 

of  the  track. 
Burnt  clay,  n. — A  clay  or  gumbo  which  has  been  burned  into 

material  for  ballast. 

Butcher,  n. — "Bridge  butcher."     A  bridge  workman. 
Butcher,  n. — "Track  butcher."     A  track  workman. 
Car,  n.— 

See  (1)   Ballast  car. 

(2)  Dump  car. 

(3)  Trimmed  car. 

Cant,  v.  t. — "Canted  rail."     A  track  rail  which  is  tipped,  so  that 

it  does  not  set  perpendicular. 
Canary,  n. — A  section-foreman. 

Cap,  n. — (1)  A  torpedo;  (2)  the  top  timber  of  a  bridge  bent. 
Cast,  v.  t. — "To   cast   dirt."     To   throw   dirt   several   feet  with 

shovels. 
Catch  siding,  n. — An  upgrade  side  track  used  in  mountainous 

countries,  normally  lined  up  to  side-track  runaway  trains  or 

cars. 
Cattle  guard,  n. — A  device  placed  between  the  rails  and  used  in 

connection  with  wing  fences  to  prevent  cattle  from  passing 

inside  the  right-of-way. 

Center  frog,  n. — The  middle  frog  in  a  three  throw  switch. 
Center  line,   n. — A   line   marking  the   center   of  an   excavation, 

embankment  or  of  a  track. 
Center  plow,  n. — A  dirt  plow  which  plows  the  dirt  or  ballast 

off  of  a  train,  delivering  it  on  both  sides  of  the  track. 
Center  punch,  n. — A  pointed  tool,  used  to  mark  the  center  point 

where  a  bolt  hole  is  to  be  drilled. 
Center  stakes,  n. — Stakes  marking  the  center  line. 
Centerbound,  adj. — The  condition  of  a  track  where  the  ties  are 

tamped  so  solidly  in  the  center  that  little  of  the  weight  of 

trains  is  borne  by  the  ends  of  the  ties. 

187 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Centers  (track  centers). — The  distance  between  the  .gage  sides 
of  corresponding  rails  on  parallel  tracks. 

Channel  switch,  n. — A  split  switch,  to  the  points  of  which  guard 
rail  stiffeners  are  attached. 

Chats,  n. — Tailings  from  mills  in  which  zinc  and  lead  ores  are 
separated  from  the  rocks  in  which  they  occur;  used  for 
ballast. 

Checks,  n. — Small  cracks  in  the  wood  of  a  tie  caused  by  sea- 
soning. 

Chert,  n. — An  impure  flint  or  hornstone,  occurring  in  beds,  used 
for  ballast. 

Cinders,  n. — The  residue  from  the  coal  used  in  locomotives  or 
furnaces. 

Cinder  track,  n. — (1)  A  track  ballasted  with  cinders;  (2)  A  track 
on  which  cars  are  placed  to  be  loaded  with  cinders. 

Clamp,  n. — "Switch  point  clamp."  A  device  for  clamping  safely 
the  temporary  switch  point  connection  used  in  relaying  track. 

Clamp  frog,  n.— A  frog  in  which  the  different  parts  are  held  to- 
gether with  clamps  and  keys. 

Clamp  gage,  n. — A  notched  tool  for  holding  rails  to  gage  for 
the  iron  car  while  laying  steel. 

Classification  yard,  n. — A  yard  adjoining  a  separating  yard,  in 
which  cars  are  classified  or  grouped  in  accordance  with  re- 
quirements, preliminary  to  forwarding  in  trains. 

Clean  break,  n. — A  rail  which  has  been  cut  and  broken  so  that 
it  shows  smooth,  squarely  broken  end  surfaces. 

Clear,  n. — Beyond  the  reach  of  moving  trains.  To  "get  in  the 
clear."  To  get  off  the  main  line,  leaving  it  clear  for  other 
trains. 

Clearance,  n. — Distance  beyond  the  extreme  outside  line  of 
moving  trains,  to  the  nearest  point  on  a  building  or  other 
obstruction. 

Clearance  post,  n. — A  post  set  at  point  of  clearance  on  converg- 
ing tracks. 

Close,  v.  t. — "To  close-up  track."  To  put  in  connections,  or  to 
make  continuous  a  track  which  has  been  disconnected.  See 
"connection." 

Cluster  or  general  yard,  n. — An  arrangement  of  yards  in  series 
for  the  separation,  classification,  assembling  and  storage  of 
cars. 

188 


APPENDIX 


Compound  curve,  n. — A  change  of  direction  consisting  of  two 
or  more  simple  curves  of  different  radii,  all  in  the  same 
direction,  joining  one  another  at  points  with  common  tan- 
gent. 

Compromise  angle  bar,  n. — Same  as  "step  angle  bar"  or  "offset 
angle  bar."  An  angle  bar  designed  to  make  a  smooth  joint 
of  two  rails  of  different  size. 

Compromise  joint,  n. — Same  as  "step  joint."  A  joint  between 
two  rails  of  different  sizes. 

Connection,  n. — To  "make  a  connection";  to  close  up,  or  make 
continuous,  a  track  which  is  disconnected. 

Continuous  angle  bar,  n. — (1)  A  combined  angle  bar  and  base 
plate.  (2)  An  angle  bar  which  has  a  flat  base  portion  ex- 
tending under  the  rail. 

Continuous  plate,  n. — Used  same  as  "gage  plate."  A  tie  plate 
reaching  clear  across  a  tie,  or  under  two  or  more  rails. 

Corduroy  track,  n. — Track  layed  on  brush  or  logs  across  a 
swamp  or  marsh. 

Cotter,  n. — See  key.  A  pin  which  is  placed  in  a  hole  provided 
for  that  purpose  in  a  bolt,  to  prevent  the  nut  from  turning 
off. 

Creeping,  inf. — "Creeping  rails."  Track  rails  which  are  moving 
longitudinally. 

Crib,  v.  t. — To  build  a  temporary  track  foundation,  consisting  of 
timbers  placed  systematically  upon  others,  forming  a  sub- 
stantial structure. 

Crib,  n. — A  temporary  track  foundation  built  of  timbers  built  up 
systematically  one  on  the  other,  to  form  a  substantial  struc- 
ture. 

Cribbing,  n. — Same  as  "crib.'* 

Crossing  frogs,  n. — Frogs  placed  where  two  tracks  cross. 

Crossover,  n. — Two  oppositely  facing  turnouts  from  adjacent 
tracks,  connected  to  each  other. 

Crossover  track,  n. — A  track  connecting  two  adjacent  tracks. 

Cross-tie,  n. — That  transverse  member  of  a  railway  track  which 
supports  the  rails  and  by  means  of  which  they  are  retained 
in  position. 

Crotch  frog,  n. — A  switch  frog  used  where  both  leads  are  curved 
and  the  curves  continue  behind  the  frog. 

189 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Crowd,  v.  t. — "To  crowd  men."  To  hurry  up  or  "drive"  a  gang 
of  men. 

Cull  tie,  n. — A  second-class  tie.  A  tie  which  has  been  culled  out 
from  first-class  ties. 

Curve,  n. — A  change  in  direction  by  means  of  one  or  more  radii. 

Curve,  n. — See  (1)  Compound  curve.  (2)  Easement  curve.  (3) 
Heavy  curve.  (4)  Reverse  curve.  (5)  Sharp  curve.  (6) 
Simple  curve.  (7)  Spiral  curve.  (8)  Vertical  curve. 

Curve  monument,  n. — A  permanent  mark  set  at  the  point  ot  a 
curve,  on  which  information  is  given  as  to  degrees,  eleva- 
tion, etc. 

Curve  sign,  n. — Same  as  "curve  monument." 

Cut,  v.  t. — "To  cut  in  a  connection."  (1)  To  put  in  a  switch. 

(2)   To  cut  and  place  rails  to  form  a  track  connection  be- 
tween the  old  and  new  rails,  when  relaying  track. 

Cut,  v.  t. — "To  cut  track."     To  disconnect  the  rails  of  a  track. 

Cut-off,  n. — A  track  which  shortens  the  original  line. 

Dead  end,  n. — The  end  of  a  stub  track. 

Dead  head,  v.  i. — To  ride  on  free  transportation. 

Dead  head,  n. —  (1)  An  obstruction  placed  at  the  end  of  a  stub 
track  to  prevent  cars  running  off.  (2)  A  passenger  riding 
on  free  transportation. 

Dead  man,  n. — (1)  A  buried  timber  to  which  a  guy  rope  or 
block  and  tackle  is  anchored,  or  against  which  a  brace  is 
placed;  (2)  A  fraudulent  name  carried  on  a  payroll  for 
which  there  is  no  laborer  in  the  crew. 

Dead  rail,  n. — Any  rail  in  a  track  which  does  not  regularly  re- 
ceive the  direct  bearing  of  wheels. 

Dead  track,  n. — A  disconnected  piece  of  track,  over  which  trains 
cannot  be  operated. 

Departure  or  forwarding  yard,  n. — A  yard  in  which  cars  are 
assembled  in  trains  for  forwarding. 

Derail,  n. — An  appliance  for  throwing  a  locomotive  off  the  track 
should  the  engineer  disregard  a  danger  signal. 

Detector  bar,  n. — A  bar  placed  at  a  switch  or  derail  alongside  of 
and  normally  below  the  top  of  rail,  operated  in  connection 
with  a  facing  point  lock,  derailing  device,  or  switch,  or  so 
that  its  operation,  and  consequently  that  of  the  lock,  will  be 
prevented  by  the  presence  of  any  of  the  wheels  of  the  train. 

190 


APPENDIX 


Dinky,  n. — (l)  A  short  local  passenger  train.  (2)  The  station- 
ary engine  on  the  pioneer  car  of  a  track  laying  machine. 
(3)  A  narrow  gage  locomotive.  (4)  A  small  standard  gage 
locomotive. 

Dinky-skinner,  n. — (1)  The  engineer  who  controls  the  live  rol- 
lers and  through  them  the  speed  of  the  ties  and  rails,  in  the 
trams  of  a  track  laying  machine.  (2)  The  engineer  of  a 
narrow  gage  locomotive. 

Dirt  track,  n. — Same  as  "mud  track."  A  track  surfaced  with  dirt. 

Disintegrated  granite,  n. — A  natural  deposit  of  granite  forma- 
tion, which,  on  removal  from  its  bed  by  blasting  or  other- 
wise, breaks  into  particles  of  size  suitable  for  ballast. 

Distribution  track,  n. — (1)  A  track  in  a  material  yard  from  which 
different  kinds  of  material  are  unloaded  and  piled.  (2)  A 
track  in  a  freight  yard  where  cars  are  stored  ready  for  dis- 
tribution to  industry  tracks,  or  for  transfer  to  other  roads. 

Doty  tie,  n. — A  tie  affected  by  fungous  growth. 

Double  slip  switch,  n. — A  crossing  of  two  tracks  with  two  curved 
track  connections  affording  two  routes  for  passing  from  one 
track  to  another. 

Double-up,  v.  t. — To  combine  two  or  several  track  gangs. 

Drag,  v.  i. — To  quit  work  in  order  to  obtain  wages  which  are 
due  with  the  idea  of  returning  to  work  after  the  money  is 
procured. 

Draw,  v.  t. — To  "draw  a  rail  in."  To  move  a  rail  laterally  in 
driving  the  spike  home. 

Dress,  v.  t. — To  "dress  up  track."  To  fill  in  and  smooth  up  the 
ballast  between  and  at  the  ends  of  the  ties,  and  to  build 
shoulder. 

Drift  bolt,  n. — (1)  A  bolt  which  is  driven  through  two  or  more 
heavy  timbers,  to  bind  them  together.  (2)  A  bolt  used  for 
holding  caps  and  stringers  in  place. 

Drill  track,  n. — A  track  connecting  with  the  ladder  track,  which 
is  kept  clear  for  movements  in  yard  switching. 

Drive,  v.  t. — To  "drive  a  spike  home."  To  drive  a  spike  far 
enough  to  make  the  head  rest  snugly  against  the  base  of 
the  rail. 

Drive,  v.  t. — "To  drive  expansion."  To  close  or  open  up  the 
expansion  openings  at  rail  joints. 

191 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Drop,  v.  t. — "To  drop  a  tie."     To  skip  a  tie. 

Dump,  n. — A  fill  or  embankment. 

Dump,  v.  t. — (1)  To  unload  dirt  or  ballast.  (2)  To  unload  a 
ballast  car,  a  dump  car,  or  a  dump  wagon.  (3)  to  release 
the  automatic  device  on  a  dump  car  or  wagon,  so  that  the 
dirt  is  unloaded. 

Dump  car,  n. — Same  as  "dumpy"  or  "leary."  A  four-wheeled 
flat  bottomed  car  used  by  laborers  for  moving  track  or 
other  material. 

Dump  wagon,  n. — A  wagon  used  in  grading,  having  an  auto- 
matic device  for  unloading  or  dumping  material  through 
the  bottom. 

Dump,  n. — Same  as  "dump  car,"  or  "leary." 

Dust,  v.  t. — "To  dust  a  rail."  To  raise  up  and  drop  a  rail  re- 
peatedly in  order  to  remove  sand,  ice,  or  other  loose  mate- 
rial from  its  surface. 

Dutchman,  n. — (So  called  because  you  can't  get  an  Irishman  in 
such  a  tight  place).  (1)  A  piece  of  rail  a  few  inches  long 
used  to  fill  an  opening  between  the  ends  of  track  rails. 
(2)  Any  short  piece  of  rail. 

Easement  curve,  n. — Similar  to  "spiral  curve."  A  curve  of  regu- 
larly varying  radii  connecting  a  tangent  to  a  simple  curve, 
or  connecting  two  simple  curves. 

Eagle  eye,  n. — A  locomotive  engineer. 

Elevation,  n.  (as  applied  to  curves). — The  amount  which  the 
outer  rail  is  raised  above  the  inner  rail. 

Elevation,  n. — '"Running  in"  elevation.  Gradually  raising  one 
rail  above  the  other,  when  approaching  a  curve. 

Elevation,  n. — "Running  out"  elevation.  Gradually  bringing  the 
track  back  to  level  after  emerging  from  a  curve. 

Embankment,  n. — A  fill.  A  bank  of  earth  or  other  material  con- 
structed above  the  natural  ground  surface. 

Emergency,  n. — The  emergency  air  brake. 

Endo,  v.  t. — A  command  meaning  to  move  a  rail,  or  other  heavy 
object  endways. 

Engine,  n. — "Dummy  engine."  A  small  locomotive  used  in  in- 
dustrial plants  or  on  construction  work. 

Excavation,  n. — (1)  The  material  taken  from  cuts,  borrow  pits, 
or  foundation  pits.  (2)  The  hole  left  after  removing  mate- 
rial. 

192 


APPENDIX 


Expansion,  n. — The  space  for  longitudinal  movements  at  the  rail 
joints  in  a  track,  necessary  on  account  of  change  of  length 
of  rails  with  change  of  temperature. 

Expansion  block,  n. — Same  as  "expansion  plug."  A  piece  of  rail 
used  to  close  a  gap  between  the  ends  of  two  rails  in  a  track. 
Its  length  njay  be  from  a  fraction  of  an  inch  to  several 
inches. 

Expansion  plug,  n. — Same  as  "expansion  block." 

Extra  gang,  n. — A  transient  gang  which  is  employed  on  other 
than  regular  section  work;  usually  a  large  gang. 

Eye,  n. — The  space  between  ties  on  the  outside  of  the  rail. 

Facing  point,  n. — A  switch  or  frog  which  points  against  the 
movement  of  trains. 

Farmer,  n. — A  person  with  no  experience  in  railroad  work. 

Fastenings,  n. — "Track  fastenings."  Splices,  bolts  and  spikes. 
'Auxiliary  fastenings." — Nutlocks,  tie-plates,  rail  braces, 
and  anti-creeping  devices. 

Feeder,  n. — A  branch  line. 

Fiddle,  n. — An  instrument  for  marking  the  proper  position  on 
ties,  for  the  edge  of  the  base  of  rail. 

Fiddle,  v.  t. — To  put  chalk  marks  across  the  upper  face  of  a  tie 
on  the  line  side,  using  the  "fiddle." 

Fiddler,  n. — The  laborer  who  fiddles  ties. 

Fill,  n. — Same  as  "embankment.." 

Filling,  n. — Material  used  in  making  embankments. 

Filler  block,  n. — A  casting  placed  between  the  guard  rail  and 
main  line  rail.  The  thickness  of  the  block  is  adjustable  or 
is  such  that  the  guard  rail  will  be  in  its  proper  lateral  posi- 
tion when  resting  snugly  against  this  block. 

Finisher,  n. — A  man  who  levels  off  the  grade  behind  the  grad- 
ing gang. 

Finishing  stakes,  n. — Final  stakes  set  for  the  completion  of  the 
work. 

Fish  plate,  n. — A  flat  piece  of  iron  with  holes  drilled  in  it,  used 
for  making  a  joint  between  two  rails.  Distinguished  from 
an  angle  bar  by  being  perfectly  flat,  and  resting  against  the 
web  of  the  rail  only. 

Fixed  signal,  n. — A  signal  in  which  the  arm  or  disc  is  station- 
ary, and  can  give  but  one  indication. 

193 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Flange,  n.— The  part  of  the  base  of  rail  on  one  side  of  the  web; 
the  rail  has  two  flanges,  but  only  one  base. 

Flanger,  n. — A  machine  provided  with  small  plows  for  remov- 
ing snow  and  ice  from  the  gage  side  of  rails. 

Flanger  sign,  n. — A  sign  board  and  standard  symbol,  denoting 
an  obstruction  in  the  track  ahead,  to  pass  which  the  flanger 
plows  must  be  raised. 

Flange-way,  n. — (1)  The  space  between  a  guard  rail  or  cross- 
ing plank,  and  the  main  rail;  (2)  The  space  between  the 
wing  of  the  frog  and  the  running  rail. 

Flatten,  v.  t. — To  "flatten  a  curve."  To  reduce  the  degree  of 
curvature. 

Foot  guard,  n. — A  wooden  block  or  metal  appliance  used  in 
switches  to  prevent  the  feet  of  employes  being  caught  and 
wedged  in  the  frog  or  back  of  the  switch  rails. 

Foreman. — "Extra  gang  foreman."  The  man  in  charge  of  an 
extra  gang  of  laborers. 

Foreman,  n. — "Section  foreman."  The  foreman  of  a  crew  of 
men  in  charge  of  and  responsible  for  the  maintenance  of  a 
section  of  track  and  right-of-way. 

Fork,  n. — See  Rail  Fork. 

Freight  yard,  n. — A  railroad  yard  where  freight  cars  are  stored 
and  freight  trains  are  made  up. 

Frog,  n. — A  frog  is  a  union  of  two  rails  which  cross  each  other 
in  such  a  manner  that  a  wheel  rolling  along  either  rail  will 
have  an  unobstructed  flangeway  while  passing  the  other  rail. 
(Camp.) 

Frog,  n.— See  (1)  Bolted  frog.  (2)  Center  frog.  (3)  Clamp 
frog.  (4)  Crossing,  frog.  (5)  Crotch  frog.  (6)  Movable 
point  frog.  (7)  Plate  frog.  (8)  Rigid  frog.  (9)  Solid  cen- 
ter frog.  (10)  Special  frog.  (11)  Spring  rail  frog. 

Front,  n. — The  extreme  end  of  a  track  under  construction. 

Frost  plow,  n. — A  heavily  constructed  plow  used  in  winter  grad- 
ing work  for  breaking  up  frozen  earth. 

Frost  spike,  n. — A  track  spike  longer  than  the  ordinary  spike, 
for  use  in  shimmed  track. 

Fudge,  v.  t. — To  put  in  a  piece  of  work  which  is  contrary  to 
standard,  but  which  is  made  to  fit  approximately  and  fulfill 
the  required  conditions. 

194 


APPENDIX 


Gage,  n.    (of  track). — The   distance  between   the   heads   of  the 

rails  measured  at  right  angles  thereto  at  a  point  5^-in.  below 

the  top  of  the  rail. 

Gage,  n. — "Standard  gage."     The  gage  of  4  ft.  8^  ins. 
Gage,  n.— See  (1)   Clamp  gage.     (2)  Tie  plate  gage.     (3)  Tight 

gage.     (4)  Track  gage.     (5)  Wide  gage. 
Gage  bearer,  n. — A  laborer  who  carries  the  clamp-gage  ahead  of 

the  rail  car. 
Gage  plate,  n. — A  "continuous  plate."     A  slide  plate  extending 

clear  across  the  tie,  and  provided  with  braces  which  rigidly 

hold  the  rails  to  gage. 
Gauntlet  track,  n. — A  track,  one  rail  of  which  lies  between  two 

rails  of  a  main  track.     It  may  leave  the  main  track  by  a 

switch;  a  gauntlet  track  may  lead  off  from  a  side  track,  the 

middle    rail    entering   and   leaving   the   center   of   the   main 

track  by  use  of  frogs. 
General  foreman,  n. — A  foreman  who  has  charge  of  all  the  work 

and  laborers,  on  a  construction  job. 
Ginny,  n. — A  foreigner. 
Grade,  v.  i. — To  prepare  the   ground  for  the  reception  of  the 

ballast  and  track. 
Grade,  n. — Ground  which  has  been  prepared  to  receive  ballast 

and  track. 
Grade  crossing,  n. — A  crossing  in  which  both  roads  are  at  the 

same  level  or  elevation. 
Grade  line,  n. — The  line  on  the  profile  representing  the  tops  of 

embankments   and   bottoms    of   cuts    ready   to    receive    the 

ballast. 
Grade  stake,  n. — A  stake  set  with  the  top  at  the  correct  height 

for  the  track. 
Gradient,  n. — The  rate  of  inclination  of  the  grade-line  from  the 

horizontal. 
Grading  machine,  n. — A  large  plow,  attached  to  a  machine  with 

endless    apron    carriers    for    excavating    and    throwing    dirt 

onto  a  grade,  or  into  dump  wagons. 
Grass  line,  n. — A  defined  line  of  vegetation  on  the  shoulder  of 

embankment.     The   space   between   the   grass   line  and  the 

track  is  kept  free  from  weeds  and  grass. 
Gravel,  n. — Small  worn  fragments  of  rock,  coarser  than  sand, 

occurring  in  natural  deposits. 

195 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Gravel  train,  n. — A  train  carrying  gravel  for  ballast. 

Gravity  yard,  n. — A  yard  in  which  the  separation  or  classifica- 
tion of  cars  is  aided  by  gravity.  The  movement  of  cars  to 
yard  tracks  is  accomplished  by  pushing  the  cars  up  to  the 
top  of  a  hump,  where  they  are  released  and  run  down  hill 
to  the  desired  spot. 

Greenhorn,  n. — A  man  inexperienced  in  track  work. 

Grief,  n. — Difficulties  encountered  and  caustic  criticism  from 
superior  officers. 

Ground  switch  stand,  n. — Same  as  "jack  knife  switch  stand."  A 
simple  lever  stand,  without  target,  the  handle  of  which  lays 
flat  on  the  head  blocks  when  the  switch  is  closed. 

Gumbo,  n. — A  term  commonly  used  for  a  peculiarly  tenacious 
clay,  containing  no  sand. 

H.  B.  (head  block),  n. — Used  interchangeably  with  P.  S.  to  de- 
note the  position  for  the  switch  point. 

Half  round  tie,  n. — A  slabbed  tie  having  greater  width  on  lower 
than  on  top  face. 

Hand  out,  n. — A  free  lunch  or  meal. 

Hang,  v.  t. — To  "hang  angle  bars."  To  place  a  pair  of  angle 
bars  on  the  head  end"  of  a  rail,  when  laying  it  in  the  track, 
bolting  loosely  with  only  one  bolt. 

Hard-center  frog,  n. — A  frog  with  a  manganese  steel  insert  at 
and  around  the  point. 

Hardy,  n. — A  rail  chisel.     See  track  chisel. 

Head,  n. — "Head  of  rail."     Same  as  "ball  of  rail." 

Head  block. — The  long  tie  or  ties  to  which  the  switch  stand  is 
spiked. 

Head  rod,  n. — Same  as  "number  one"  rod.  The  switch  rod  near- 
est the  point  of  switch. 

Heart  tie,  n. — A  tie  showing  sapwood  on  one  or  two  corners 
only,  which  sapwood  does  not  measure  more  than  one  inch 
on  either  corner,  on  lines  drawn  diagonally  across  the  end 
of  tie. 

Heavy  curve,  n. — Same  as  "sharp  curve."  A  curve  which  has  a 
high  degree  of  curvature. 

Heel,  n. — (1)  The  end  of  the  rail  being  placed,  which  will  rest 
against  the  end  of  the  rail  previously  laid.  (2)  The  end  of  a 

196 


APPENDIX 


switch  rail.  (3)  The  end  of  a  frog  farthest  from  the  switch 
point.  (4)  Anything  used  as  a  fulcrum  under  a  bar. 

Heel  block,  n. — A  casting  used  in  the  joint  at  the  heel  of  the 
switch  point  rail. 

Heel  casting,  n. — Same  as  "heel  block." 

Heel-in,  v.  t. — To  "heel-in"  a  rail,  frog  or  switch  point.  To  place 
the  end  of  the  rail,  frog  or  switch  point  against  the  end  of 
a  rail  in  the  track. 

Heel  plate  n. — A  plate  used  under  the  joint  at  the  heel  of  the 
switch  rail. 

Heeler,  n. — The  man  who,  in  laying  track,  gives  the  commands, 
and  directs  the  placing  of  the  heel  of  each  rail  in  the  angle 
bars. 

Hewed  tie,  n. — A  tie  hewed  on  at  least  two  sides. 

High. — A  command  given  to  jack  men  when  raising  to  indicate 
that  the  track  has  reached  the  required  height. 

High  spiker,  n. — A  spiker  who  follows  a  spiking  gang,  and 
drives  spikes  down  which  have  not  been  driven  home. 

High  switch  stand,  n. — A  switch  stand  with  a  high  target,  gen- 
erally used  for  main  line. 

Hip  heeler,  n. — The  laborer  who  works  next  to  the  heeler. 

Hobo,  n. — An  itinerant  track  laborer,  who  makes  a  practice  of 
travelling  around  the  country,  working  temporarily  on  extra 
gangs. 

Hogger,  n. — A  locomotive  engineer. 

Hog  head,  n. — A  locomotive  engineer. 

Hold,  v.  t. — "To  hold  a  train."  To  stop  a  train  or  delay  it. 

Holding  power,  n. — The  "holding  power"  of  a  tie.  The  resist- 
ance a  tie  offers  to  a  spike  to  prevent  spreading  of  the  rails. 

Home  block  signal,  n. — A  fixed  signal  at  the  entrance  of  a  block, 
to  control  trains  in  entering  and  using  the  block. 

House  track,  n. — (1)  A  track  alongside  or  entering  a  freight 
house  and  used  for  cars  receiving  or  delivering  freight.  (2) 
A  track  running  alongside  a  freight  house.  (3)  A  track 
leading  to  an  engine  house. 

Industry  track,  n. — A  track  leading  to  a  factory  or  manufactur- 
ing plant. 

Insulated  joint,  n. — A  track  joint  designed  to  stop  the  flow  of 
an  electric  current  from  one  rail  to  the  next. 

197 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Interlocking  machine,  n. — The  primary  operating  or  controlling 
mechanism  of  an  interlocking  plant,  placed  in  the  inter- 
locking station,  and  in  which  the  interlocking  feature  is 
effected. 

Interlocking  plant,  n. — An  arrangement  of  switch,  lock  and  sig- 
nal appliances  so  interconnected  or  interlocked  that  one 
movement  must  succeed  another  in  a  predetermined  order. 

Intermediate  switch,  n. — A  switch  which  does  not  connect  di- 
rectly with  the  ladder  track,  but  leads  off  from  a  primary 
track  which  does  connect  with  the  ladder  track.  The  inter- 
mediate switch  points  are  located  just  behind  the  frog  of 
the  primary  track. 

Intermediate  switch  stand,  n. — A  stand  whose  target  is  at  a 
height  intermediate  between  a  high  and  a  low  switch  stand. 
Generally  used  in  yards. 

Iron,  n. — Track  rails. 

Iron  car,  n. — A  four-wheeled  car  propelled  by  men  or  horses, 
used  for  carrying  rails  when  laying  track. 

Jack,  n. — A  car  without  air  brakes. 

Jack,  n. — "Track  jack."     An  instrument  used  for  raising  track. 

Jack  knife  switch  stand,  n. — Same  as  "ground  stand." 

Jerry,  n. — An  Irish  track  laborer. 

Jim,  v.  t. — To  spoil  or  render  unfit  for  use. 

Jimmed,  adj. — Spoilt  or  injured. 

Jim  crow,  n. — A  rail  bender,  designed  only  to  give  a  rail  a  kink 
or  angle  at  one  point. 

Joint,  n. — See  (1)  Bonded  joint.  (2)  Bridge  joint.  (3)  Broken 
joint.  (4)  Compromise  joint.  (5)  Insulated  joint.  (6) 
Mock  joint.  (7)  Offset  joint.  (8)  Square  joint.  (9)  Step 
joint.  (10)  Supported  joint.  (11)  Suspended  joint.  (12) 
Three-tie  joint. 

Junction  sign,  n. — A  warning  sign  placed  a  standard  distance 
from  a  railway  crossing  or  junction. 

Junk  line,  n. — A  railroad  line  containing  old  and  poor  material, 
and  in  poor  running  condition. 

Key,  n. — An  iron  pin  which  is  placed  through  a  hole  in  the  end 
of  a  bolt,  in  order  to  hold  the  nut  on.  The  pin  is  split,  the 
two  parts  are  spread  after  inserting  in  the  hole,  and  the  key 
is  thus  prevented  from  coming  out. 

198 


APPENDIX 


Kill,  v.  t. — "To  kill  a  track."  To  disconnect  a  track  so  that  it 
cannot  be  used. 

King-snipe,  n. — A  section  foreman. 

Kink,  n. — A  short  piece  of  track  which  is  out  of  line. 

L.  &  S.  angle  bar,  n. — Same  as  "long  and  short  angle  bar." 

Ladder  track,  n. — A  track  connecting  in  series  the  body  tracks 
of  a  yard. 

Lagging,  n. — Same  as  "sheathing."  Boards  braced  against  the 
sides  of  earthen  excavations,  etc.,  to  prevent  cave-ins. 

Launch,  v.  t. — To  slide.    To  move  endways. 

Lead,  n. — (1)  Distance  from  point  of  switch  to  point  of  frog. 
(2)  A  ladder  track. 

Lead  track,  n. — An  extended  track  connecting  either  end  of  a 
yard  with  the  main  line. 

Leary,  n. — Same  as  "dumpy"  or  "push  car." 

Level,  n. — The  condition  of  the  track  in  which  the  elevation  of 
the  rails  transversely  is  equal. 

Lift  rails,  n. — (1)  Rails  used  at  ends  of  drawbridges,  which  are 
lifted  up  when  the  bridge  is  to  be  opened.  (2)  Rails  in  a 
lift-rail  switch  which  lay  up  against  main  line  rails  when 
a  switch  is  thrown  for  side  track;  these  rails  gradually  ele- 
vate the  wheels  until  the  flanges  are  carried  up  over  the 
main  line  rails. 

Line,  n. — The  condition  of  the  track  in  regard  to  uniformity  in 
direction  over  short  distances  on  tangents,  or  uniformity  in 
variation  in  direction  over  short  distances  on  curves. 

Line,  v.  t. — (1)  To  line  track.  To  put  track  in  a  desired,  or  the 
proper  position.  (2)  To  line  up  switches.  To  throw  one  or 
several  switches  so  that  a  desired  route  is  obtained. 

Line,  n. — (1)  A  railroad.     (2)  A  route  on  a  railroad. 

Line  bent. — "Line  bent  rail."  A  rail  which  has  been  bent  later- 
ally, and  retains  a  permanent  set. 

Line  man,  n. — The  man  who  stretches  the  tie  line  ahead  of  the 
tie  spacers  in  a  track  laying  gang. 

Liner,  n. — (1)  A  foreman  engaged  in  lining  track.  The  laborers 
are  also  frequently  called  liners.  (2)  Gage  liner.  The  la- 
borer who  throws  the  rail  into  position  for  the  gage  spikers. 

Lip,  n. — A  lateral  projection  of  a  rail  end  at  a  joint. 

199 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Live  rail,  n. — Same  as  running  rail.     The  rails  of  a  track  scale 

on  which  cars  are  placed  for  weighing. 
Loading  track,  n. — A  track  on  which  cars  are  placed  to  take  on 

a  load. 
Lock-nut,  n. — A  nut  so  designed  that  when  tightened  it  strongly 

resists  loosening. 
Long  and  short  angle  bar,  n. — Same  as  L.  &  S.  angle  bar.     An 

angle  bar  with  a  long  punch  on  one  end  and  a  short  punch 

on  the  other,  to  fit  two  differently  drilled  rails. 
Long  punch  angle  bar,  n. — An  angle  bar  with  the  maximum  dis- 
tance  between   punch   holes,   where   a   railway   has    several 

standard  distances. 
Low  switch  stand,  n. — A  stand  with  a  low  target,  and  a  lever 

whfch  rests  on  the  ties  when  the  switch  is  closed.     For  use 

in  yards. 

Machine,  n. — A  track  laying  machine. 
Main  line,  n. — The  principal  track  in  any  district   over  which 

trains  are  operated. 
Make  up,  v.  t. — To  "make  up  a  train."     To  place  cars  intended 

for  a  certain  train  in  their  proper  order  on  a  track. 
Material  yard,  n. — A  yard  used  for  storing  materials  to  be  used 

in  laying  a  stretch  of  track,  or  a  freight  or  passenger  yard. 
Monkey,  n. — The  hammer  of  a  pile  driver. 
Mormon,  n. — A  scraper  made  of  wooden  planks  with  a  steel  tip. 

For  pulling  dirt  down  a  bank  or  finishing  top  of  grade. 
Movable  point  frog,  n. — A   device   for  providing  a  continuous 

rail  alternately  for  either  of  two  intersecting  routes. 
Muckers,  n. — Laborers  engaged  in  excavating. 
Mud,  v.  t. — A  word  used  by  a  man  in  a  lining  gang  to  call  for  a 

new  hold. 
Mud  sill,  n. — A  heavy  timber  imbedded  in  the  earth  at  the  end 

of  an  embankment,  to  form  a  support  for  stringers. 
Mud  track,  n. — Same  as  "dirt  track."    Track  surfaced  with  dirt. 
Neck,  n. — "Neck  of  a  frog."     Same  as  "throat  of  a  frog." 
Nip,  v.  t. — To  raise  with  a  bar. 

Nipper,  n. — A  man  detailed  to  nip  up  ties  for  a  gang  of  spikers. 
Nipping  block,  n. — A  piece  of  wood  used  as  a  fulcrum  in  nipping 

up  ties  for  a  spiking  gang. 
No.  2,  n. — A  dirt  shovel. 

200 


APPENDIX 


Offset  angle  bar,  n. — Same  as  "compromise  angle  bar"  or  "step 
angle  bar."  An  angle  bar  designed  to  connect  smoothly 
two  rails  of  different  size. 

Old  man,  n. — (l)  A  device  for  holding  a  ratchet  rail  drill  in  po- 
sition. (2)  A  ratchet  drill.  (3)  A  man  in  charge  of  a  num- 
ber of  gangs  of  laborers,  or  the  official  at  the  head  of  a  de- 
partment. 

Open  track,  n. — A  track  reserved  for  movements  through  a  yard. 

P.  C. — Point  of  curve. 

P.  C.  C. — Point  of  compound  curve. 

P.  E. — Point  of  easement  curve. 

P.  F. — Point  of  frog. 

P.  R.  C. — Point  of  reverse  curve. 

P.  S.— Point  of  switch. 

P.  T. — Point  of  tangent. 

Panel,  n. — A  rail  length  of  track. 

Paper  collars,  n. — Officials. 

Passenger  yard,  n. — A  railway  yard  in  which  passenger  equip- 
ment is  kept. 

Passing  siding,  n. — A  special  siding,  usually  connected  with  the 
main  track  at  both  ends,  and  used  to  enable  trains  to  pass 
each  other. 

Passing  track,  n. — Same  as  "passing  siding." 

Pecky  tie,  n. — A  tie  made  from  a  cypress  tree  affected  with  a 
fungous  disease,  known  locally  as  peck. 

Peddle,  v.  t. — To  distribute  track  material. 

Peddler,  n. — A  man  who  distributes  track  material. 

Peddler,  n. — A  traveling  representative  of  a  railway  supply  com- 
pany. 

Penstock,  n. — An  arrangement  for  supplying  locomotive  tanks 
with  water.  It  consists  of  a  pipe  with  a  pivoted  spout  which 
may  be  swung  out  over  the  engine  tank.  The  water  is  sup- 
plied under  pressure  and  is  controlled  by  a  valve. 

Pick,  v.  t. — "To  pick  up  track."    To  surface  track. 

Pick,  v.  t. — "To  pick  up  low  joints."    To  raise  low  joints. 

Pickled  tie,  n. — Same  as  treated  tie.  A  tie  which  has  been  sub- 
jected to  a  process  for  preserving  it  from  decay. 

Pickeroon,  n. — A  small  sharp  pick  used  in  rolling  ties  into  the 
trams  of  a  track-laying  machine. 

201 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Pile  plank,  n. — A  plank  driven  in  the  ground  in  the  same  man* 

ner  as  a  pile. 

Pinch,  v.  t. — "Pinch  a  car."  To  move  a  car  by  using  a  pinch  bar. 
Pioneer  car,  n. — The   head   car   in   a  track-laying  machine,   on 

which  the  engine  for  operating  the  track  machine  is  carried. 
Piped,  adj. — "Piped  rail."     A  rail  which  splits  in  use;  more  es- 
pecially a  rail  which  splits  at  some  point  other  than  the  end. 
Pipe  run,  n. — An   assemblage   of  pipe   lines   of  an   interlocking 

plant,    with    their   carriers    and   foundations,   in   a   common 

course. 
Pipe  wrench,  n. — A  track  wrench  over  the  handle  of  which  a 

piece  of  iron  pipe  is  driven,  in  order  to  lengthen  the  handle. 
Pit,  n. — See  (1)  Borrow  pit.     (2)  Cinder  pit. 
Pit  track,  n. — (1)  The  loading  track  in  a  gravel  or  sand  pit.    (2) 

Track  on  which  cars  are  placed  for  loading  cinders  from  a 

cinder  pit  at  a  roundhouse. 

Plan,  n. — A  drawing  furnished  for  the  guidance  of  work. 
Plate,  n. — See  (1)  Continuous  plate.     (2)  Gage  plate.     (3)  Heel 

plate.     (4)  Slide  plate.     (5)  Tie  plate. 
Plate  frog,  n. — A  frog  in  which  the  different  parts  are  riveted 

to  a  heavy  base  plate. 
Plow,  n.— See   (1)    Ballast  plow.     (2)   Bull  dozer.     (3)    Center 

plow.     (4)   Frost  plow.     (5)  Side  plow.     (6)  Spreader. 
Plug,  n. — (1)  A  short  railway  branch  line;  (2)  A  local  passenger 

train;  (3)  Anything  to  fill  a  hole. 
Point,    n. — (1)    "Theoretical    point    of    frog."      The    imaginary 

point  where  the  gage  lines  of  a  frog  intersect.     (2)  "Actual 

frog  point."     The  end  of  the  metal  at  the  converging  gage 

lines.     (See  also   P.   C,   P.   C.   C,   P.   E.,   P.   R,   P.   E.,   P. 

R.  C,  P.  S.,  and  P.  T.) 
Pole  man,  n. — The  man   who  handles   the  rail   derrick   on   the 

head  end  of  the  track  machine. 
Pole  tie,  n. — A  tie  made  from  a  tree  of  such  size  that  not  more 

than  one  tie  can  be  made  from  a  section.     Such  a  tie  gen- 
erally shows  sapwood  on  two  sides. 
Policing. — "Policing  the  right  of  way."     General  cleaning  up  of 

right  of  way. 
Pollock,  n.— A  Polander. 
Poling  yard,  n. — A  yard  in  which  the  movement  of  cars  is  pro- 

202 


APPENDIX 


duced  by  the  use  of  a  pole  or  stake  operated  by  an  engine  on 
an  adjoining  parallel  track.  The  movement  may  be  facil- 
itated by  an  assisting  grade. 

Post,  n. — "Whistling  post."  A  post  with  a  standard  sign  on  it, 
showing  that  there  is  a  grade  crossing  or  other  dangerous 
place  ahead,  for  which  the  engineer  should  sound  the  whistle 
as  a  warning. 

Profile,  n. — The  intersection  of  a  longitudinal  vertical  plane  with 
the  ground  or  established  gradients;  or  a  drawing  represent- 
ing same. 

Pumping  track,  n. — Track  where  the  ties  work  up  and  down 
excessively  in  wet  ballast. 

Pumpkin  vine,  n. — A  railroad  containing  many  sharp  curves. 

Push  car,  n. — Same  as  a  "dumpy"  or  "dump  car." 

Puzzle  switch,  n. — A  double  slip  switch. 

Quartered  tie,  n. — A  tie  made  from  a  tree  of  such  size  that  four 
ties  only  are  made  from  a  section. 

Rail,  n. — Rail,  used  as  a  collective  noun  for  plural. 

Rail,  n. — See  (1)  Ball  worn  rail.  (2)  Battered  rail.  (3)  Broomed 
rail.  (4)  Lift  rail.  (5)  Line  bent  rail.  (6)  Live  rail.  (7) 
Piped  rail.  (8)  Ravelled  rail.  (9)  Receiving  rail.  (10)  Run- 
ning rail.  (11)  Skid  rail.  (12)  Stock  rail.  (13)  Surface  bent 
rail.  (14)  Taper  rail.  (15)  Third  rail.  (16)  Wing  rail. 

Rail  bender,  n. — A  tool  for  giving  a  rail  a  uniform  curve  from 
end  to  end. 

Rail  brace,  n. — A  device  to  be  spiked  against  the  outside  of  a  rail 
to  prevent  track  from  spreading  or  to  hold  guard  rails  in 
position. 

Rail  cut,  adj. — "Rail  cut  tie."    A  tie  which  a  rail  has  sunk  into. 

Rail  fork,  n. — A  fork  shaped  tool  used  in  turning  and  handling 
loose  nails. 

Rail  nipper,  n. — A  man  in  a  track  laying  gang  who  raises  the 
rail  which  is  already  in  position,  in  order  to  facilitate  heeling 
in  the  next  rail. 

Rail  plug,  n. — Same  as  "expansion  plug." 

Rail  rests,  n. — Supports  for  holding  one  or  more  rails  a  sufficient 
height  above  ground  to  prevent  their  being  covered  with 
snow. 

203 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Rail  square,  n. — A  wooden  square  used  to  determine  whether 
joints  in  a  track  are  in  correct  relative  positions. 

Rail-wear,  n. — The  deterioration  of  a  rail  caused  by  passing 
trains. 

Railroad,  v.  t. — (1)  To  move  a  stationary  engine  by  an  anchor 
line  and  drum  or  winch.  (2)  To  accomplish  a  large  amount 
of  work.  (3)  An  exclamation  or  warning  to  denote  the  ap- 
proach of  a  train,  or  to  warn  of  any  danger. 

Ram,  n. — The  hammer  of  a  pile-driver. 

Ravelled  rail,  n. — A  defective  rail  which  has  been  worn  by  the 
passage  of  wheels  so  that  small  ragged  strips  protrude  out- 
ward from  the  ball. 

Receiving  rail,  n. — The  rail,  at  a  joint  on  a  one-way  track,  on 
which  the  wheels  drop  in  the  direction  of  traffic. 

Receiving  tracks,  n. — Tracks  which  are  used  for  incoming  trains. 

Receiving  yard,  n. — A  yard  for  receiving  incoming  trains. 

Re-gage,  v.  t. — To  draw  the  spikes  on  a  track,  and  respike  it  to 
standard  gage. 

Reinforcing  bar,  n. — A  bar  bolted  or  riveted  to  a  switch  rail  to 
strengthen  it. 

Relaying,  adj. — "Relaying  gang." — A  gang  which  is  relaying 
track. 

Relaying,  adv. — Replacing  worn  track  rails  with  new  rails. 

Relief  track,  n. — An  extended  passing  siding,  long  enough  to  al- 
low an  inferior  train  to  continue  running  while  a  superior 
train  passes. 

Rerail,  v.  t. — To  put  a  car  back  onto  the  track,  after  it  has  been 
derailed. 

Reverse  curve,  n. — Two  curves  in  opposite  directions  in  a  contin- 
uous line  joining  at  a  common  tangent  point. 

Right-of-way  map,  n. — A  plat  representing  the  actual  location 
and  dimensions  of  the  property,  rights  or  franchises  that  are 
owned  or  controlled  by  a  railroad  company. 

Rigid  frog,  n. — A  frog  in  which  all  parts  are  stationary. 

Rigid  switch  stand,  n. — A  switch  stand  which  allows  for  no 
emergency  spring  movement  if  the  switch  is  run  through. 

Rip  rap,  v.  t. — To  cover  a  bank  or  embankment  with  riprap. 

Riprap,  n. — Stone  placed  on  a  bank  or  an  embankment  to  pro- 
tect same  from  stream  washing. 

Road,  n. — "Hitting  the  road,  hitting  the  gravel,  hitting  the  dirt 

204 


APPENDIX 


or  hitting  the  grit."     Hobo  terms,  meaning  to  start  out  over 
the  country. 

Roadbed,  n. — The  finished  surface  of  the  roadway  upon  which 
the  track  and  ballast  rest. 

Roadway,  n. — That  part  of  the  right-of-way  of  a  railroad  pre- 
pared to  receive  the  track. 

Road  grader,  n. — A  machine  for  leveling  the  top  of  a  grade. 

Roberts-man,  n. — A  hobo  who  has  worked  on  a  Roberts  track- 
laying  machine. 

Rod,  n.— See  (1)  Adjustable  switch  rod.  (2)  Bridle  rod.  (3) 
Head  rod.  (4)  Number  one  rod.  (5)  Switch  rod. 

Rolling  stock,  n. — The  cars  and  engines  owned  by  a  railroad. 

Rough  neck,  n.— A  brakeman  or  switchman. 

Run,  v.  t. — To  "run  through  a  switch."  To  pass  over  the  switch 
points  (trailing)  when  they  are  not  lined  up  for  the  route; 
if  the  stand  is  rigid  either  the  stand  or  the  switch  will  be 
put  out  of  operation;  if  the  stand  is  a  spring  stand,  it  will 
throw  automatically. 

Run  around  track,  n.— A  short  track  connected  at  either  end 
with  a  main  track;  the  run  around  track  is  kept  clear  so  that 
a  train  may  be  spotted  on  the  main  track  and  the  engine 
can  run  around  it  and  couple  on  the  other  end. 

Run-off,  n. — (1)  The  part  of'a  curve  or  tangent  changing  from 
level  track  to  superelevation  on  a  curve.  (2)  A  temporary 
incline  in  a  track  from  a  higher  part  which  has  just  been 
raised,  to  the  old  level. 

Running  rail,  n. — A  rail  which  receives  the  bearing  of  wheels. 

Running  surface,  n. — Putting  a  track  in  a  condition  just  good 
enough  to  prevent  injuring  of  rails  by  slow  traffic. 

Running  track,  n. — A  track  reserved  for  movements  through  a 
cluster  or  general  yard. 

Rust  eaters,  n. — The  rail  gang.  The  men  who  handle  rails  in 
track  construction. 

Runway,  n. — A  plank  or  board  passage  way  for  wheel  barro.ws. 

Safety  switch  stand,  n. — Same  as  "automatic  switch  stand." 

Sag,  n. — A  dip  or  low  section  in  a  track. 

Sand,  n. — Any  hard,  granular,  comminuted  rock  material,  finer 
than  gravel,  and  coarser  than  dust. 

Sand  hog,  n. — A  man  who  opens  and  dumps  automatic  ballast 
cars. 

205 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Sand  siding,  n. — A  gauntlet  track  covered  with  sand,  used  in 
place  of  a  derail.    The  sand  exerts  great  resistance  and  soon 
stops  a  train. 
Sap  tie,  n. — A  tie  which  shows  more  than  a  prescribed  amount 

of  sap-wood  in  cross-section. 

Sawed  tie,  n. — A  tie  having  both  faces  and  sides  sawed. 
Scale  track,  n. — A  track  leading  to  a  scale  for  weighing  cars. 
Scissor  bill,  n. — (1)   The  name  given  by  the  hoboes  to  a  local 
laborer  working  on  an  extra  gang.     (2)  An  officious  person. 
Scissors  crossover,  n. — A  right-hand  and  a  left-hand  crossover 
connecting,    and   with    middle   points    intersecting   between, 
two  parallel  tracks. 

Scoot,  n. — A  short  local  passenger  train. 
Score  mark,  n. — A  mark  made  by  the  ax  as  an  aid  in  hewing  out 

a  cross  tie. 
Scraper,  n. — A  large  steel  shovel-like  appliance  drawn  by  horses, 

and  used  for  scraping  up  and  moving  dirt. 
Scraper,  n. — "Fresno  scraper."     A  large  slip  for  two  or  more 

teams. 

Semaphore  signal,  n. — A  signal  for  controlling  train  movements, 
consisting  of  a  movable  arm  attached  to  a  mast,  the  in- 
dications being  given  by  the  position  of  the  arm. 
Separating  yard,  n. — A  yard  adjoining  a  receiving  yard,  in  which 
cars  are  separated  according  to  district,  commodity,  or 
other  required  order. 

Set,  v.  t. — "Set  a  spike."  To  place  a  spike  vertically  on  a  tie 
and  tap  lightly  with  the  hammer,  so  that  the  spike  will  be 
in  the  proper  position  for  driving. 

Shakes,  n. — Separations  of  the  wood  fiber  of  a  tie,  due  to  the  ac- 
tion of  the  wind. 

Shank,  n.— (1)  The  body  of  a  bolt.     (2)  The  body  of  a  spike. 
Sharp  curve,  n. — Same  as  "heavy  curve." 
Sharp  flange,  n. — A  wheel  flange  which  has  been  worn  thin,  and 

*is  likely  to  cause  a  derailment. 
Sheet,  v.  t. — To  place  and  brace  boards  against  an  earthen  bank 

to  prevent  caving  in. 
Sheet  piling,  n. — Planks  driven  to  form  a  solid  wall  to  support  a 

bank  and  exclude  water  while  excavating. 
Sheeting,  n. — Same  as  "lagging." 

206 


APPENDIX 


Shim,  n. — "Expansion  shim."  A  piece  of  iron  inserted  tempo- 
rarily between  the  ends  of  rails  in  track  laying,  to  make 
allowance  for  the  expansion  of  the  rails. 

Shim,  n. — "Track  shims."  Wooden  blocks  of  varying  thickness, 
for  inserting  between  the  base  of  rails  and  the  ties;  used  to 
raise  low  places  in  a  track  in  the  winter  time,  when  the  ties 
are  frozen  in  the  ground. 

Shim,  v.  t. — (1)  To  place  surface  shims  under  a  track.  (2)  To 
place  expansion  shims  between  the  ends  of  the  rails  when 
laying  track. 

Shim  spike,  n. — Same  as  "frost  spike." 

Shoe,  n. — A  device  used  to  prevent  sliding  friction  between  the 
wheels  of  a  car  and  the  rails;  used  when  ballast  unloaded  in 
center  of  track  is  being  spread  by  means  of  track  ties  placed 
in  front  of  and  against  the  wheels  of  a  car,  and  the  car 
shoved  ahead. 

Shoo  fly,  v.  t. — To  build  around  an  incompleted  fill,  cut,  bridge, 
or  tunnel. 

Shoo  fly,  n. — A  track  built  around  an  incompleted  fill,  cut, 
bridge,  or  tunnel. 

Short  punch  angle  bar,  n. — An  angle  bar  with  the  minimum 
standard  distance  between  holes,  where  several  different 
standards  are  used. 

Shoulder,  n. — The  top  part  of  the  railroad  embankment,  from 
the  end  of  the  ties  to  the  ballast  border. 

Shoulder,  v.  t.— To  "shoulder  up  track."  (1)  To  build  and  shape 
up  the  embankment  outside  the  end  of  the  track  ties;  (2)  to 
build  a  shoulder. 

Shunt,  v.  t. — To  switch  cars. 

Shuttle-engine,  n. — (1)  An  engine  used  in  a  hump  yard  to  carry 
the  brakeman  to  the  top  of  the  hump.  (2)  An  engine  which 
is  run  back  and  forth  to  try  out  the  routes  in  a  new  inter- 
locking plant. 

Side  plow,  n. — A  ballast  plow  which  shoves  the  ballast  all  off 
on  one  side  of  the  train. 

Siding  or  side-track,  n. — A  long  track,  away  from  a  yard,  con- 
nected with  the  main  or  running  track  at  one  or  both  ends 
and  used  for  the  storage  or  irregular  movement  of  cars  or 
trains. 

207 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Siding,  n. — See  (l)  Catch  siding.     (2)  Passing  siding.     (3)  Sand 

siding. 

Side  track,  v.  t. — To  run  a  train  in  on  a  side  track. 
Sign,  n. — A  visible  signal. 
Sign,  n. — See   (1)    Bridge  sign.     (2)    Crossing  sign.     (3)   Curve 

sign.     (4)  Flanger  sign.     (5)  Junction  sign. 
Signal,   n. — See    (1)    Advance   block   signal.      (2)    Block   signal. 

(3)    Distant    block    signal.      (4)    Fixed    signal.      (5)    Home 

block  signal.     (6)    Semaphore   signal.      (7)   Tell  tale  signal. 

(8)   Whip  guard  signal. 
Simple  curve,  n. — A  change  in   direction  by  means  of  a  single 

radius. 
Single  slip  switch,  n. — A  slip  switch  with  only  one  curved  track 

connection,  thus  affording  only  one  route  between  the  tracks 

which  cross. 
Skeleton  track,  n. — A  track  which  has  no  filling  between  the 

ties. 

Skid,  v.  t. — To  move  material  over  skids. 
Skids,   n. — Beams    along    which    material   is    slid    in   unloading, 

loading  or  piling  up  material. 

Skid  rails,  n. — Rails  designed  especially  for  use  as  skids,  pro- 
vided with  hooks  which  fit  the  stake  pockets  of  a  flat  car. 
Skinner,  n. — A  teamster  in  a  grading  gang. 
Slab  tie,  n. — A  tie  made  from  slabs. 
Slabbed  tie,  n. — A  tie  sawed  on  top  and  bottom  only. 
Slag,  n. — The  w^aste  product,  in  a  more  or  less  vitrified  form,  of 

furnaces  for  the  reduction  of  ore;  usually  the  product  of  a 

blast  furnace.     Used  for  ballast. 

Slew,  v.  i.  (Same  as  Slue). — To  slide  sideways  out  of  position. 
Slewed  track,  n. — Track  which  has  slid  out  of  line. 
Slide  plate,  n. — A  metal  plate  under  a  switch  point,  a  movable 

frog  point,   or  the  spring  rail  of  a  frog,   over  which  those 

devices  slide  in  their  lateral  movements. 

Slip,  n. — (1)   A  dirt  scraper  used  in  grading.   (2)   A  slip  switch. 
Slip  switch,  n. — A  crossing  of  two  railway  tracks,  and  combined 

with  it  a  curved  track  or  tracks  and  switch  points  providing 

a  route  from  one  track  to  the  other. 
Slope,  n. — The  inclined  face  of  a  cut  or  embankment. 
Slope  stake,  n. — A  stake   set  to  mark  the  top  or  bottom  of  a 

slope. 

208 


APPENDIX 


Sloper,  n. — A  laborer  who  finishes  off  the  slope  of  an  embank- 
ment or  cut. 

Slue.— (See  "Slew"). 

Smoke,  n. — Discarded  core  sand  from  an  iron  foundry,  which  is 
exceedingly  fine,  dry  and  dirty,  and  easily  blown  about  by 
wind. 

Smooth,  v.  t. — To  "smooth  up  track."  To  raise  the  low  places 
only,  and  rapidly  put  the  track  in  fair  shape. 

Snipe,  n. — A  section  hand. 

Snipe  up,  v.  t. — To  go  over  a  track,  raising  only  the  worst  parts. 

Snow  fence,  n. — A  fence  constructed  to  prevent  snow  drifting 
onto  the  right-of-way. 

Soldier,  v.  t. — To  kill  time  or  to  shirk. 

Soldier,  n. — One  who  shirks. 

Solid  center  frog,  n.— A  frog  in  which  point  and  wing  rails  are 
cast  in  one  piece,  and  require  neither  frog  bolts  nor  frog 
clamps. 

Spacing,  n. — The  distance  between  centers  of  ties  on  a  track. 

Spear  spike,  v.  t. — To  omit  part  of  the  spikes  on  the  inside  of  a 
track. 

Special  frog,  n. — A  frog  made  to  fit  into  a  special  track  layout, 
where  no  regular  frog  will  fit. 

Special  tracks,  n. — In  a  typical  yard  there  will  be  several  tracks 
devoted  to  special  purposes,  varying  with  the  local  condi- 
tions. These  will  include  caboose  tracks,  scale  tracks,  coal- 
ing tracks,  ash-pit  tracks,  bad-order  tracks,  repair  tracks, 
icing  tracks,  feed  tracks,  stock  tracks,  transfer  tracks,  sand 
tracks,  depressed  tracks,  etc. 

Speeder,  n. — Same  as  "armstrong." 

Spike,  n. — Used  as  a  collective  noun  to  denote  plural. 

Spike-killing. — The  destruction  of  a  tie  on  account  of  frequent 
driving  and  pulling  of  spikes. 

Spike  puller,  n. — (1)  A  short  claw-like  tool  designed  to  clutch  a 
spike  which  is  between  a  rail  and  a  guard  rail,  and  which 
cannot  be  reached  by  an  ordinary  claw  bar.  (2)  A  man  who 
pulls  spikes. 

Spike-punch,  n. — A  blunt  pointed  instrument  for  driving  down 
spike  stubs  so  that  they  will  be  flush  with  or  below  the  tie 
face. 

209 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Spike-slot,  n. — A  notch  in  an  angle  bar  into  which  the  spike  is 
driven. 

Spike  throat,  n. — The  body  of  a  spike  just  beneath  the  head, 
which  rests  against  the  rail  base. 

Spike-stub,  n. — A  spike  with  the  head  broken  off. 

Splices,  n. — Angle  bars  or  fish  plates. 

Split  tie,  n. — A  tie  made  by  splitting  from  a  tree  of  such  size 
that  two  or  more  ties  can  be  made  from  a  section. 

Spiral  curve,  n. — Similar  to  "easement  curve."  A  curve  in  which 
the-  degree  of  curvature  is  low  at  the  points  and  gradually 
increases  until  the  maximum  degree  is  reached. 

Spoon,  n.— A  shovel. 

Spot,  v.  t. — To  place  cars.     To  move  cars  to  a  desired  position. 

Spot,  n. — The  black  line  on  the  spot  board. 

Spot,  n. — Cars  "on  spot."  Cars  in  the  correct  or  desired  posi- 
tion. 

Spot-board,  n. — A  broad  straight-edged  board  painted  white, 
with  a  wide  black  line  running  across  it  transversely.  Used 
in  raising  track  to  a  definite  height  or  grade. 

Spot  board  blocks,  n. — Blocks  (used  in  raising  track  with  the 
spot  board)  whose  height  is  the  same  as  the  distance  from 
the  bottom  of  the  spot  board  to  the  black  line  or  "spot"  on 
the  board. 

Spreader,  n.— (1)  Same  as  "bull  dozer."  (2)  A  center  plow 
fastened  to  the  under  side  of  a  car.  Used  for  leveling  off 
ballast  which  has  been  dumped  in  the  middle  of  the  track. 
(3)  A  car  with  wings  for  plowing  or  spreading  out  dirt 
dumped  in  the  center  and  at  the  side  of  a  track. 

Spring  rail  frog,  n. — A  frog  with  a  movable  wing  which  rests 
against  the  frog  point  and  takes  part  of  the  wheel  load 
when  a  train  passes  on  the  main  track.  When  taking  the 
side  track  the  movable  wing  is  sprung  out  by  the  wheel 
flanges. 

Spur,  v.  t. — To  "spur  out  a  car."  To  place  a  car  on  a  short  piece 
of  track,  all  connection  with  other  tracks  to  be  broken  after 
the  car  is  in  the  desired  position. 

Spur  track,  n. — A  stub  track,  usually  leading  to  and  serving  an 
industry,  or  warehouse,  freight  house,  etc. 

Square  joints,  n. — Track  joints  which  are  directly  opposite  each 
other  in  the  track. 

210 


APPENDIX 


Stake,  n. — A  specified  amount  of  money  which  a  hobo  plans  to 
save  up  before  quitting  the  job. 

Stake,  n.— See  (1)  Ballast  stake.  (2)  Center  stake.  (3)  Finish- 
ing stake.  (4)  Grade  stake.  (5)  Slope  stake. 

Station  board,  n. — A  sign  board  about  a  mile  from  a  station  an- 
nouncing the  distance  to  the  station. 

Station-grounds,  n. — Property  to  be  used  for  station  purposes. 

Steel,  n. — Track  rails. 

Steel-car,  n. — (1)  A  small  truck  used  to  carry  the  rails  when  lay- 
ing track.  (2)  The  car  containing  the  rails,  in  a  track-lay- 
ing machine. 

Steel  roller,  n. — The  man  who  rolls  the  rails  into  the  trams  on  a 
track-laying  machine. 

Stem,  n. — (1)  The  shaft  in  a  switch  stand.  (2)  The  "main  stem." 
The  main  line. 

Step  angle  bar,  n. — Same  as  "offset  angle  bar"  or  "compromise 
angle  bar." 

Step  fish  plate,  n. — A  fish  plate  designed  to  make  a  smooth  joint 
of  two  rails  of  different  size. 

Step  joint,  n. — A  joint  between  two  rails  of  different  size. 

Stock-rail,  n. — (1)  The  bent  rail  in  a  switch,  against  which  the 
track  switch  rail  rests  when  closed.  (2)  Either  rail  in  a 
switch  against  which  a  switch  rail  may  be  thrown. 

Stone  ballast. — Crushed  lime,  or  other  suitable  stone,  used  for 
ballast. 

Stone  train,  n. — A  train  carrying  crushed  stone  for  ballast  or 
concrete. 

Stop  block,  n. — A  block  fastened  to  the  back  of  a  point,  and 
which  rests  against  the  web  of  the  track  rail  when  a  train 
is  passing  over  the  point;  prevents  switch  rail  from  bending. 

Storage  yard,  n. — A  yard  in  which  cars  are  held  awaiting  dis- 
position. 

Stormy-end,  n. — The  end  of  the  rail  which  comes  out  of  the 
track-laying  machine  first. 

Strapper,  n. — The  man  who  hangs  the  angle  bars  on  the  head 
rails  in  laying  track. 

Straps,  n. — Angle  bars  or  fish  plates. 

Strap,  n. — "Safety  strap."  A  light  strip  of  iron  spiked  to  head 
block  ties.  The  strap  is  bent  so  as  to  be  beneath  the  con- 
necting rod  and  prevents  the  latter  from  dropping  down 

211 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


and  being  disconnected  in  case  the  nut  works  off  the  crank 
on  the  switch  stand. 

Straw,  n. — (1)  An  assistant  foreman.  (2)  An  overseer  subordi- 
nate to  the  assistant  foreman. 

Straw,  v.  i. — To  work  as  an  assistant  foreman. 

Straw-boss,  n. — Same  as  "straw." 

Straw  man,  n. — A  fraudulent  name  carried  on  the  pay  roll,  for 
which  there  is  no  laborer  in  the  crew. 

Streak-of-rust,  n. — A  railway  line. 

Stretch^  v.  t. — "To  stretch  steel."  (1)  To  provide  for  expansion 
in  a  tight  track,  by  bucking  the  rails  ahead  towards  a  point 
"  where  there  is  more  expansion.  (2)  To  set  up  rails. 

Strict  heart  tie,  n. — A  tie  having  no  sapwood. 

Stringers,  n. — The  timbers  laying  longitudinally  under,  and  sup- 
porting the  track  on  a  bridge. 

Stripping,  n. — Soil  removed  from  the  top  of  a  gravel  pit  or 
quarry. 

Stripping,  n. — "Stripping  out  track."  Removing  the  ballast 
from  between  the  ties. 

Stub  switch,  n. — A  switch  in  which  the  stub  ends  of  rails  are 
moved  transversely  to  shift  the  route  of  trains. 

Stub  track,  n. — A  short  track  connected  with  another  at  one  end 
only. 

Stuff,  n. — Money. 

Subgrade,  n. — The  tops  of  embankments  and  bottoms  of  cuts, 
ready  to  receive  ballast. 

Summit  or  hump  yard,  n. — A  yard  in  which  the  movement  of 
cars  is  produced  by  pushing  them  over  a  summit,  beyond 
\vhich  they  ru.i  by  gravity.  The  movement  from  the  base 
to  the  summit  may  be  facilitated  by  an  assisting  grade. 

Sun-kink,  n. — A  sharp  crook  in  the  track;  caused  by  the  heat  of 
the  sun  expanding  the  rails  until  sufficient  force  is  gener- 
ated to  throw  the  rails  out  of  line. 

Supported  joint,  n. — A  rail  joint  which  has  a  tie  directly  be- 
neath the  point  of  junction  of  the  rails. 

Surface,  v.  t. — To  raise  track  to  proper  grade,  or  to  a  more  or 
less  smooth  condition. 

Surface,  n. — The  condition  of  the  track  as  to  vertical  evenness 
or  smoothness  over  short  distances. 

212 


APPENDIX 


Surface,  n. — "Skeleton  surface."    A  temporary  surface  where  no 

filling  has  been  thrown  between  the  ties. 
Surface-bent,  adj. — "Surface-bent  rail."     A  rail  which  has  been 

bent  perpendicularly,  and  has  taken  a  permanent  set. 
Suspended  joint,  n. — A  rail  joint  with  a  tie  under  each  end  but 

having  no  tie  directly  below  the  junction  of  the  rails. 
Swing,  n. — A  piece  of  track  designed  to  be  tangent,  which  has 

moved  to  one  side  for  a  considerable  distance.     A  "kink"  is 

a  short  "swing." 
Swing-train,  n. — A  train  which  conveys  track  material  from  the 

material  yard  to  the  front. 
Switch,  n. — A  switch  is  a  device  for  shifting  the  route  at  the 

entrance  of  a  turnout.     (Camp.) 
Switch,  n. — See    (1)    Channel   switch.      (2)    Double   slip   switch. 

(3)   Intermediate  switch.     (4)    Single  slip  switch.     (5)    Slip 

switch.      (6)    Stub    switch.      (7)    Three    throw   switch.      (8) 

Three  way  switch. 
Switch,  v.  t. — To   distribute   cars   in  a   desired   order,   by  using 

switching  tracks. 
Switch   lug,   n. — The    appliance    which    is    fastened    to    a    switch 

point,  and  to  which  the  switch  rods  are  connected. 
Switch  plate,  n. — See  Slide  Plate. 
Switch-point,  n. — "Reinforced  switch  point."    A  switch  point  to 

the  side  of  which  is  bolted  a  flat  iron  bar  stiffener. 
Switch   rod,  n. — A  transverse   bar   or   rod   connecting  the   two 

point  rails  of  a  switch. 
Switch  stand,  n. — See  (1)  Automatic  switch  stand.     (2)  Ground 

switch    stand.      (3)    High    switch    stand.      (4)    Intermediate 

switch  stand.     (5)  Jack  knife  switch  stand.     (6)  Low  switch 

stand.     (7)   Safety  switch  stand.     (8)   Three  throw  stand. 
Switching   district,   n. — That   portion    of   a   railway   at    a   large 

terminal  into  which  cars  are  moved,   and  from  which  they 

are  distributed  to  the  various  sidetracks  and  spurs  to  freight 

houses  and  manufacturing  establishments  served  from  this 

district,  by  yard  or  switching  engines. 
Tallow-pot,  n. — A  locomotive  fireman. 
Tamp,  v.  i. — (1)  To  pack  down  with  light  blows  in  grading.  (2) 

To  compact  earth  or  ballast  under  track  ties. 
Tamp. —  (1)    "Shovel    tamping."      Tamping   track    with    shovels 

213 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


only.  (2)  "Bar  tamping."  Tamping  with  tamping  bars.  (3) 
"Pick  tamping."  Tamping  stone  ballast  with  tamping  picks. 

Tangent,  n.— Straight  track. 

Taper  rail,  n. — A  rail  tapered  down  from  a  heavy  to  a  lighter 
section,  to  be  used  in  place  of  a  compromise  joint  between 
two  rails  of  different  size. 

Tapped  tie,  n. — A  tie  made  from  a  tree,  the  resin  or  turpentine 
of  which  has  been  extracted  before  felling. 

Target,  n. — The  day  signal  used  on  a  switch  stand. 

Team-track,  n. — A  track  from  which  cars  are  loaded  or  un- 
loaded into  wagons. 

Tell-tale,  n.— See  Whip  Guard  Signal. 

Terminal,  n. — The  facilities  provided  by  a  railway  at  a  terminus 
or  at  intermediate  points  on  its  line  for  the  purpose  of  han- 
dling its  business. 

Terminal,  n. — Freight  terminal.  The  arrangement  of  terminal 
facilities  for  the  handling  of  freight  business. 

Terminal,  n. — Passenger  terminal.  The  arrangement  of  term- 
inal facilities  for  the  handling  of  passenger  business. 

Terminal,  n. — Rail  and  water  terminal.  A  terminal  where 
freight  is  interchanged  between  railway  cars  and  vessels. 

Terrier,  n. — An  experienced  itinerant  track  laborer. 

Third  rail,  n. — (1)  A  rail  placed  between  two  rails  at  standard 
gage,  to  provide  for  narrow  gage  operation  by  using  in  con- 
nection with  one  of  the  standard  gage  rails.  (2)  A  rail 
which  carries  the  propulsion  current  on  an  electrically- 
operated  railway. 

Three-level  crossing,  n. — A  crossing  in  which  the  roads  are  at 
three  different  heights  or  elevations. 

Three-rail  track,  n. — A  track  with  three  rails,  to  accommodate 
both  standard  and  narrow  gage  equipment. 

Three-throw  stand. — A  switch  -stand  for  a  three-way  switch. 

Three-way  switch,  n. — A  switch  placed  where  two  side  tracks 
diverge  from  a  main  track  at  a  common  point. 

Three-tie  joint,  n. — A  joint  in  which  the  angle  bars  rest  on  three 
ties,  the  central  tie  being  directly  beneath  the  meeting  of 
the  rails. 

Throat,  n. — The  open  portion  of  the  frog  where  the  rails  are 
closest  together.  (Camp.) 

214 


APPENDIX 


Throat-cut,  n. — "Throat-cut  spike."  A  spike  into  which  a  notch 
has  been  worn  where  it  is  in  contact  with  the  rail  base. 

Throw,  n. — (1)  The  distance  the  switch  points  move  when  the 
switch  is  lined  from  one  route  to  the  other.  (2)  The  dis- 
tance a  curve  is  to  be  moved  at  any  certain  place,  to  con- 
form to  the  stakes  or  to  its  correct  line. 

Tickler,  n.— A  warning  signal  for  a  bridge,  consisting  of  a 
number  of  evenly  spaced  cords  suspended  over  a  track,  the 
lower  ends  of  the  cords  being  at  such  a  height  that  a  man 
standing  on  top  of  a  car  will  be  struck  by  the  cords.  Same 
as  Tell  Tale  or  Whip-Guard  Signal. 

Tickler  pole,  n. — A  pole  which  supports  a  tickler  signal  on  a 
projecting  horizontal  cross  arm. 

Tie,  n.— See  (1)  Cross  tie.  (2)  Cull  tie.  (3)  Doty  tie.  (4) 
Heart  tie.  (5)  Hewed  tie.  (6)  Half  round  tie.  (7)  Pecky 
tie.  (8)  Pole  tie.  (9)  Quartered  tie.  (10)  Sap  tie.  (11) 
Sawed  tie.  (12)  Slab  tie.  (13)  Slabbed  tie.  (14)  Split  tie. 
(15)  Strict  heart  tie.  (16)  Tapped  tie.  (17)  Wane  tie.  (18) 
Pickled  tie.  (19)  Treated  tie.  (20)  Rail  cut  tie. 

Tie  buckers,  n. — Men  who  carry  ties  out  ahead  of  a  track  ma- 
chine. 

Tie  face,  n. — (1)  The  upper  or  lower  plane  surface  of  a  tie 
(technical).  (2)  The  upper  surface  of  a  tie. 

Tie-line,  n. — A  rope  used  to  show  the  proper  lateral  position 
for  ties  which  are  being  distributed  for  a  track. 

Tie-liner,  n. — A  laborer  who  places  ties  in  proper  line. 

Tie  plate,  n. — A  plate  placed  between  the  tie  and  the  rail  to  in- 
crease the  bearing  surface  in  order  to  prevent  the  rail  from 
cutting  into  the  tie  and  to  hold  the  rails  to  gage. 

Tie-plate  gage,  n. — A  device  which  is  placed  on  top  and  with 
one  end  even  with  the  end  of  the  tie,  with  holes  arranged 
so  that  in  this  position  they  show  the  proper  location  for 
tie  plates. 

Tie-plater,  n. — The  laborer  who  places  tie  plates  on  the  ties. 

Tie  plug,  n. — A  short  piece  of  wood  used  to  fill  a  hole  left  in  a 
tie  where  a  spike  has  been  pulled. 

Tie-pole,  n. — A  pole  which  has  marks  on  it  to  show  the  proper 
distances  center  to  center  for  track  ties,  and  which  is  used 
in  spacing  ties. 

215 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK 


Tie-spacer,  n. — A  laborer  who  places  ties  at  their  proper  dis- 
tance center  to  center  ready  for  laying  rails. 

Tie-trammer,  n. — A  laborer  who  rolls  the  ties  from  the  tie  car 
into  the  trams  on  a  track  machine. 

Tight  gage,  n. — Track  in  which  the  rails  are  closer  than  the 
standard  track  gage  of  the  road. 

Tight  track,  n. — Track  with  too  small  an  allowance  for  expan- 
sion. 

Time,  n. — "To  give  a  man  his  time."     To  discharge  a  man. 

Toe,  n. — "Toe  of  frog."  The  end  of  the  frog  nearest  the 
switch  point. 

Toe,  n. — "Toe  of  slope."  The  intersection  of  a  slope  with  the 
ground  surface  in  embankments,  and  the  plane  of  roadbed 
in  cuts. 

Toe-casting,  n. — A  casting  used  between  the  toe  rails  of  a  spring 
rail  frog. 

Toe-in,  v.  t. — To  "toe-in"  a  frog  against  another  rail;  to  place 
the  toe  of  the  frog  against  the  end  of  a  rail  in  the  track. 

Top-of-slope,  n. — The  intersection  of  a  slope  with  the  ground 
surface  in  cuts,  and  the  plane  of  the  roadbed  on  embank- 
ments. 

Track,  n. — Ties,  rails  and  fastenings  with  all  parts  in  their 
proper  relative  positions. 

Track,  n. — See  (1)  Body  track.  (2)  Cinder  track.  (3)  Corduroy 
track.  (4)  Crossover  track.  (5)  Dead  track.  (6)  Dirt 
track.  (7)  Distribution  track.  (8)  Drill  track.  (9)  Gaunt- 
let track.  (10)  House  track.  (11)  Industry  track.  (12). 
Ladder  track.  (13)  Lead  track.  (14)  Loading  track.  (15) 
Mud  track.  (16)  Open  track.  (17)  Passing  track.  (18)  Pit 
track.  (19)  Receiving  track.  (20)  Relief  track.  (21)  Run- 
ning track.  (22)  Run-around-track.  (23)  Scale  track.  (24) 
Siding  or  side'  track.  (25)  Skeleton  track.  (26)  Slewed 
track.  (27)  Special  track.  (28)  Spur  track.  (29)  Stub 
track.  (30)  Team  track.  (31)  Three-rail  track.  (32)  Tight 
track.  (33)  Transfer  track.  (34)  Unloading  track.  (35) 
Wye  track. 

Track-bolt,  n. — A  bolt  used  in  a  track  joint. 

Track  circuit,  n. — An  electric  circuit  carried  through  the  rails  of 
a  track. 

Track-chisel,  n. — A  chisel  used  for  cutting  rails. 

216 


APPENDIX 


Track-gage,  n. — A  tool  for  measuring  the  distance  between 
track  rails. 

Track  map,  n. — A  map  used  primarily  for  showing  existing  phys- 
ical conditions,  including  tracks,  bridges,  buildings,  water 
service  and -mains,  leases,  station  facilities  and  all  of  the 
physical  and  operating  features. 

Track-walker,  n. — A  laborer  who  walks  over  the  track  to  dis- 
cover and  repair  or  report  breakages. 

Traffic,  n. — 'Against  traffic."  In  a  direction  opposite  to  the  di- 
rection trains  run. 

Traffic,  n. — "With  traffic."  In  the  same  direction  as  the  direc- 
tion trains  run. 

Trailing  movement,  n. — A  movement  over  a  switch  from  frog 
to  switch  points. 

Trailing  point,  n. — A  switch  or  frog  which  points  in  the  same 
direction  as  the  movement  of  trains. 

Train,  n. — See  (1)  Gravel  train.  (2)  Stone  train.  (3)  Swing 
train.  (4)  Work  train. 

Trams,  n. — Live  rollers  for  conveying  ties  and  rails  to  the  front 
of  a  track-laying  machine. 

Transfer  slip,  n. — A  protected  landing  place  for  car  floats,  with 
an  adjustable  apron  for  connecting  the  tracks  of  the  pier 
and  the  car  float.. 

Transfer  tracks,  n. — (1)  Tracks  used  in  conjunction  by  two 
railroads  for  the  interchange  of  cars.  (2)  Tracks  laid  close 
together  to  facilitate  the  transfer  of  freight  from  one  car 
to  another. 

Treated  tie,  n. — A  track  tie  which  has  been  subjected  to  a 
treatment  to  lengthen  its  life. 

Trimmed  car,  n. — A  car  loaded  with  rails  and  enough  angle  bars 
to  build  the  whole  into  track. 

Trunking,  n. — A  continuous  wooden  box  for  the  protection  of 
wires  carrying  electric  current. 

Trunk-line,  n. — A  large  railway. 

Turnout,  n. — An  arrangement  by  which  a  car  may  pass  from 
one  track  to  another.  (Camp.) 

Two-level  crossing,  n. — A  track  crossing  in  which  the  roads  are 
at  two  different  heights  or  elevations. 

Unloading  track,  n. — A  track  from  which  cars  are  unloaded. 

Vertical  curve,  n. — A  curve  used  to  connect  intersecting  grade 
lines. 

217 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


Walker,  n. — Same  as  "general  foreman"  or  "walking  boss." 

Walking-boss,  n. — Same  as  "walker"  or  "general  foreman." 

Wane  tie,  n. — A  squared  tie  showing  parts  of  the  original  sur- 
face of  the  tree  on  one  or  more  corners. 

Waste,  n. — Material  in  excess  of  that  required  to  make  an  em- 
bankment of  given  cross  section. 

Web,  n.— "Web  of  rail."  The  part  of  the  rail  between  the  ball 
and  the  base. 

Weed-cutter,  n. — A  sharp  spade-like  tool  with  a  long  handle, 
for  rooting  up  weeds. 

Wheeler,  n. — A  dirt  scraper  mounted  on  wheels. 

Whip,  v.  i. — "To  whip  a  spike."  To  draw  a  spike,  when  driving 
it,  to  a  different  vertical  position  from  that  in  which  it  was 
set. 

Whip  guard  signal,  n. — A  device  for  warning  freight  trainmen 
that  they  are  approaching  an  overhead  bridge.  The  signal 
consists  of  a  series  of  heavy  cords  hung  several  inches  apart 
and  at  a  height  such  that  the  ends  of  the  cords  will  strike  a 
trainman  who  is  standing  on  top  of  a  moving  freight  car. 

Wide  gage,  n — (1)  Uniform  gage  wider  than  standard  used  on 
curves.  (2)  Gage  of  track  where  the  rails  have  spread. 

Wing,  n. — The  outside  of  a  frog  back  of  the  point. 

Wing  rail,  n. — The  outside  rail  of  a  frog  back  of  the  point. 

Work  train,  n. — A  train  engaged  in  construction  or  maintenance 
work. 

Work  ways,  v.  i. — A  command  to  turn  a  rail  ball  up. 

Work  ways,  adv. — The  position  of  a  rail  which  corresponds  to 
its  position  when  in  track.  Right  side  up. 

Wye  track,  n. — Same  as  "Y-track." 

Yard,  n. — A  system  of  tracks  arranged  in  series,  within  defined 
limits,  for  separating  and  making  up  trains,  storing  cars, 
and  other  purposes. 

Yard,  n. — See  (1)  Classification  yard.  (2)  Cluster  or  general 
yard.  (3)  Departure  or  forwarding  yard.  (4)  Distribution 
yard.  (5)  Freight  yard.  (6)  Gravity  yard.  (7)  Material 
yard.  (8)  Passenger  yard.  (9)  Poleing  yard.  (10)  Receiv- 
ing yard.  (11)  Separating  yard.  (12)  Storage  yard.  (13) 
Summit  or  hump  yard. 

Y-track,  n. — A  triangular  arrangement  of  tracks  used  in  place  of 
a  turntable  for  turning  engines,  cars  or  trains;  or  for  trans- 
ferring a  train  from  one  to  another  of  two  intersecting 
tracks. 

218 


TABLES 


TABLE  1. 

TEMPERATURE  EXPANSION  FOR  LAYING  RAILS* 

The  allowance  that  should  be  made  for  expansion  for  33-ft. 
rails  is  shown  in  the  following  table. 

The  temperature  should  be  taken  on  the  rail,  and  the  open- 
ings between  the  rail  ends  should  be  as  follows: 
Temperature 

(Fahrenheit)  Allowance 

,....lk    in. 


—20°  to 

0°  to 

25°  to 

50°  to 


0 
25C 
50C 

75C 


' , -f%  in. 

'. %   in. 

75°  to  100° ik  in. 

Over  100  degrees  rails  should  be  laid  close  without  bumping. 


Fig.  47,  Frog  Board. 


TABLE   2. 


FROG-BOARD  DIMENSIONS. 


Frog 
No. 

4 

5 

6 

7 


Length 
AC 
Ft.     In. 

4  0 

5  0 
5          0 

5  3 

6  0 


Width 

BD 

Inches 

12 

12 

10 

9 

9 


Frog 
No. 
9 

10 

11 

12 

15 


Length 

AC 

Ft.     In. 
6         0 
5         0 

5  6 

6  0 
6          3 


Width 

BD 

Inches 

8 

6 

6 

6 

5 


*American    Railway    Engineering  Association. 

219 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


TABLE   3. 

MIDDLE  ORDINATES  IN  INCHES,  FOR  CURVING 
RAILS. 


Degree 
of  Curve 
3° 
3°  30' 

33  Ft. 
55/64 
1 

Length  of  Rail. 
30  Ft.     26  Ft. 
11/16      17/32 
27/32       5/8 

20  Ft. 
5/16 
3/8 

16  Ft. 
13/64 
15/64 

4° 

1  9/64 

61/64 

23/32 

27/64 

9/32 

4°  30' 

1  9/32 

1  1/16 

13/16 

15/32 

5/16 

5° 

1  27/64 

1  3/16 

57/64 

17/32 

11/32 

5°  30' 

1  37/64 

1  19/64 

63/64 

37/64 

3/18 

6° 

1  45/64 

1  13/32 

1   1/16 

5/8 

13/32 

6°  30' 

1  27/32 

1  17/32 

1  11/64 

11/16 

7/16 

<y° 
i 

1  63/64 

1  21/32 

1  1/4 

47/64 

15/32 

7°  30' 

2  9/64 

1   3/4 

1  21/64 

25/32 

1/2 

8° 

2  9/32 

1   7/8 

1  27/64 

27/32 

17/32 

8°  30' 

2  27/64 

2 

1  33/64 

57/64 

37/64 

9° 

2  9/16 

2  3/32 

1  19/32 

15/16 

39/64 

9°  30' 

2  -45/64 

2  15/64 

1  11/16 

1 

41/64 

10° 

2  27/32 

2  11/32 

1  25/32 

1  3/64 

11/16 

11° 

3  1/8 

2  19/32 

1  61/64 

1  5/32 

3/4 

12° 

3  13/32 

2  13/16 

2  9/64 

1  17/64 

53/64 

13° 

3  45/64 

3   3/64 

2  9/32 

1  23/64 

29/32 

14° 

3  63/64 

3   5/16 

2  31/64 

1  15/32 

61/64 

15° 

4  17/64 

3  S5-/64 

2  43/6~4 

1  37/64 

1   1/64 

16° 

4  35/64 

3   3/4 

2  53/64 

1  43/64 

1  3/32 

17° 

4  27/32 

4 

3   1/32 

1  25/32 

1   5/32 

18° 

5  7/64 

4  7/32 

3   3/16 

1  7/8 

1  15/64 

19° 

5  13/32 

4  29/64 

3  23/64 

1  63/64 

1  19/64 

20° 

5  63/64 

4  45/64 

3  35/64 

2  3/32 

1  3/8 

TABLE  4 


DIRECT  DISTANCES  BETWEEN   LADDER  FROG 
POINTS,  MEASURED  ALONG  LADDER. 

Distances   Between  Track   Centers,  Ft. 


No.  of 

12 

1254 

13               1354 

14 

1454 

15 

Frog 

ft. 

in. 

ft.      in. 

ft. 

in.       ft.       in. 

ft. 

in. 

ft. 

in. 

ft. 

in. 

6 

72 

6 

75     654 

78 

6*/2       81      6M 

84 

7 

87 

754 

90 

7y2 

7 

84 

5 

87  11.}* 

91 

55/s         94    113/4 

98 

6 

102 

054 

105 

654 

8 

96 

454 

100    434 

104 

5         108     5 

112 

554 

116 

5M> 

120 

Stt 

9 

108 

4 

112  1054 

117 

454    121  1054 

126 

45i 

130 

10** 

135 

5 

10 

120 

334 

125     334 

130 

4         135     45* 

140 

454 

145 

4^ 

150 

45/6 

11 

132 

354 

137     9H 

143 

35*     148     95/s 

154 

334 

159 

10 

165 

45i 

12 

144 

3 

150     3 

157 

3         162     33A 

168 

354 

174 

354 

180 

3*4 

14 

168 

2% 

175     2S/& 

182 

2Y4     189     2% 

196 

3 

203 

3^ 

210 

354 

220 

TABLES 


TABLE  5. 

WIDENING  GAGE  ON  CURVES. 

From  The  Manual  of  the  A.  R.  E.  Association. 
Curves  eight  degrees  and  under  should  be  standard  gage. 
Gage  should  be  widened  one-eighth  inch  for  each  two  degrees 
or  fraction  thereof  over  eight  degrees,  to  a  maximum  of  4  ft. 
9%  in.  for  tracks  of  standard  gage.  Gage,  including  widening 
due  to  wear,  should  never  exceed  4  ft.  9^  in. 

The  installation  of  frogs  upon  the  inside  of  curves  is  to  be 
avoided  wherever  practicable,  but  where  same  is  unavoidable, 
the  above  rule  should  be  modified  in  order  to  make  the  gage 
of  the  track  at  the  frog  standard. 

The  following  table  is  made  up  from  the  above  rule. 

Correct  Distance 

Increase  Correct  Between  Rail 

Degree  Gage  by  Gage  and  Guard  Rail 

Up  to  8  degrees  0  in  4  ft.  8^  in.  1^4  in. 

8  degrees 

9  degrees  J/s,  in.  4  ft.  8^  in.  1^  in. 

10  degrees 

11  degrees  %  in.  4  ft.  8^  in.  2      in. 

12  degrees 

13  degrees  ^  in.  4  ft.  8^  in.  2^  in. 

14  degrees 

15  degrees  ^  in.  4  ft.  9      in.  2^  in. 

16  degrees 

17  degrees  ^  in.  4  ft.  9^  in.  2^  in. 

18  degrees 

19  degrees  ^  in.  4  ft.  9*4  in.  2^  in. 

20  degrees 

20  degrees  ^  in.  4  ft.  9^  in.  25/s  in. 

21  degrees 

22  degrees 

and  above  1      in.  4  ft.  9^  in.  2^4  in. 

TABLE  6. 

SETS  OF  SWITCH  TIES  FOR  VARIOUS  TURNOUTS. 

Split  Switches. 

Frog  Space  in  No.  of  Tie  of  Each  Length  Total 

No.  Track  15         8         9       10       11       13       13  14  Number 

14  140'  2        12        10        14        12        10          8  6  74 

12  120'  1          0        13        11          9          6          7  7  54 

10  100'  29        14          87744  55 

8  75'  2          9        10          9          6          6          5  2  49 

7  70'  2          9          8          6          6          5          4  2  42 

6  60'  2          8          7          5          4          3          4  2  35 

5  50'  2         6         6         3         3         2         4  2  28 

221 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


in 

Q 

W 

ffi 
U 


H  £ 

1-1  C/3 

S  -J 

<  <r- 


H 

S 

O 

w 

ffi 

H  i 


jo  ;uioj 
jo 


jinoj 


JO    99aS3Q—  Q 


jo 


jo 


J99H 


rH   T—  1   i—  !   r-t 


en 
S 

0?«   iH   rH 

Q   »b  00   (M 


W  CO   CO   •*   00 


rH   iH   W   (M  CO 


o;  ;uioj 


Cooooooooooooooo 

I— I 
r^^^lTHT-liHTHiHiHCJiMCOCOCOrCfO 


o  o  o  o  o  o  o  o  o  o  o  o  o  o  o 


fa 


TABLES 


g  C^  cD  u--  " 

^^^-jrG'-M      .(MCOCOr-l 

J  t-1  ^  -»->  <u  il'W  CM  co  rt< 

J«JJ 


laic 


O  .*H 
0+J* 


T3  c 


en 
<u  OJD 


HJ;    5 


O        SC 


as 


00   00  O  O 


£ '"  G5  O   O  T-H   O  rH 
TH  rH  TH 

o-o-  -  c      "d 

W          '^3  OS  ^i-Hr-lrHT-ICQW 


43  O  w  rt        J 

O  CO  r  -^        O   TH   O 

Ql     r/)  IT.     Cfi  Tn    T~l 

CO-£<  03  -«TH^N 

CO 

O   C  g  c          [ 

^Tj'S  G'S      --^^^^ 

<y  <u  uV     ^-^ 

^C  J^  T~lt'-icMW<M 

,  o5.;3  <r   l 

s^g.  S^^.., 

rn  -*~!  r/^     O    C   Oi  -j  C  2X 


.S  .2  'S  c  «s 


O  be 
o 


'^       ?       00  05  O  T*    (N  CO 


223 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


TABLE  10. 

NUMBER  OF  TIES   PER   MILE  WHEN   EXPRESSED   IN 
NUMBER  -PER  100  FEET. 


No.  of  Ties 
in  100  Ft. 

40 

41 

42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 


No.  of  Ties 
in  1  Mile 

2112 

2164 

2218 

2270 

2323 

2376 

2429 

2482 

2534 

2587 

2640 

2693 

2745 


No.  of  Ties 
in  100  Ft. 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
58 
59 
60 
61 
62 
63 
64 
65 


No.  of  Ties 
in  1  Mile 

2798 

2851 

2904 

2957 

3009 

3062 

3115 

3168 

3220 

3274 

3326 

3379 

3332 


TABLE   11. 

ELEVATION  OF  OUTER  RAIL  IN  INCHES.* 


Velocity  in  Miles  per  Hour. 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 

10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 


10 
0 


15     20     25     30     35     40     45     50     55 


34     34 
*/l  1T4 


/'« 


1% 

y*  iiA  ^A 

54    l3/8    234 


7/8    l*/8  ~L5/8  2/8  254    3/4 

[74    134  234  3/8  4         474 

^54  234  3/4  4J4  534  654 

5       3  4  54  654   854 

5^   S1^  474  6*4  8 

!74  41/8  554  734 


34   1 


1  2y4    3/8  6/4 

1*4  254    4^  7 

1^  234    434  7^ 

134  2J4    5  734 

134  3     54  sy8 


60     65     70 

234  234  3^4 

434     5l/2     §l/2 

7^4    834    934 

9/2 


534 

254  4^  574 

2?4  4^  V/2 

3x/i  474  7*4 

334  534  734 


*American   Railway  Engneering  Association. 

224 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 

10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 


TABLES 


TABLE  13. 

LADDER  LAYOUT  TABLE. 

Distance 

from  Straight  Track  to 

Gage  Line 

of  Frog 

Rail  of  Ladder 

at 

Frog 

100  Ft. 

200  Ft.            300  Ft. 

400  Ft. 

500  Ft. 

No. 

Ft.  In. 

Ft.  In.           Ft.  In. 

Ft.  In. 

Ft.  In. 

6 

16—9% 

33—634          50—4^4 

67—1% 

83—11 

7 

14  —  4% 

28  —  8%           43  —  1 

57—554 

71_gi^ 

8 

12—6% 

25—1%         .  37—734 

50—2% 

62—9 

9 

11  —  134 

22—  3  &           33—5% 

44—6% 

55—8% 

10 

10—0% 

20—0%           30  —  1 

40—  I/ 

50—15/6 

11 

9—13% 

18—2%           27—4 

86—514 

45—6% 

12 

8  —  4% 

16—8%           25  —  Oy2 

33—434 

41—8% 

TABLE  13. 

DEGREE    OF   TURNOUT   CURVE   WHEN    FROG   IS    ON 
THE  INSIDE  OF  THE  CURVE. 


Turnout 


Curve 

from 

Frog 

Straight 

De 

No. 

Track 

'1 

2 

deg. 

deg. 

deg 

6 

17 

18 

19 

7 

12/ 

13/ 

145 

8 

9/ 

10/ 

11} 

9 

7/2 

8/ 

9} 

10 

6 

7 

8 

11 

5 

6 

7 

12 

4 

5 

6 

15 

2/2 

3/2 

4r 

Degree  of  Curve  in  Main  Track. 
2345678 
deg.  deg.  deg.    deg.  deg.  deg.    deg.  deg. 
20       21        22        23        24       25 

16/    17/   18/   19/   20/ 
13^   14/   15/   16/   17/ 
ll/   12/   13^   14/ 
10        11        12        13        14 
9        10        11        12        13 
8          9        10        11        12 
6/     7*A     SV2     91/ 


9 

cleg. 
26 

21/ 


9 


16/ 
15 
14 
13 


TABLE  14. 


DEGREE    OF   TURNOUT   CURVE   WHEN    FROG 

THE  OUTSIDE  OF  CURVE. 
Turnout 
Curve 
from 

Degree  of  Curve  in  Main  Track. 
-12345678 
deg.  deg.  deg.    deg.  deg.  deg.    deg.  deg. 
37/   36/   35/   34/   33^   32/   31/   30/ 
23/   22/   21/   20^   19/   18^   17/   16/ 
16        15        14        13        12        11        10         9 


IS    ON 


Frog 

No. 


Straight 

Track 

deg. 


9 
deg. 


17 


10 


32 
225 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


TABLE  15. 

SPACING  OF  CROSSTIES   (BROKEN  JOINTS). 
Note — Joint  ties  assumed  to  be  9  in.  from  end  of  rail. 


Length        Spacing     Spacing 

Spacing 

Spacing 

Spai 

of  Rail          12 

ties        14  ties 

16   ties 

IS   ties 

20    1 

or  Panel       per 

rail     per  rail 

per  rail 

per  rail 

per 

ft.                ft. 

in.          ft.    in. 

ft.      in. 

ft.      in. 

ft. 

30 

2      3 

1    11 

1     8T4 

1      ( 

31 

2     4 

2     0 

1       9' 

1      < 

32 

2     5 

2     1 

1       93/4 

1      ' 

33 

2     6 

2      134 

1      ! 

TABLE  16. 

DIMENSIONS 

OF  RAILS. 

Tvpe 

\Yeight  per 

Yd.     Height 

Base. 

A.  S;  C.  E. 

100 

534 

534 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

90 

53/8 

53/6 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

85 

V/4 

54 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

80 

5 

5 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

72 

434 

434 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

70 

45/£ 

45^5 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

65 

4//2 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

60 

4/4 

4% 

A.  R.  A.-A 

100 

6 

5/2 

A.  R.  A.-A 

90 

55/6 

5M? 

A.  R.  A.-A 

80 

51/ 

45/6 

A.  R.  A.-A 

70 

434 

/O 

44 

A.  R.  A.-A 

60 

4//2 

4 

A.  R.  A.-B 

100 

55/6 

5/4 

A.  R.  A.-B 

90 

54 

434 

A.  R.  A.-B 

80 

4% 

4T/6 

A.  R.  A.-B 

70 

A.  R.  A.-B 

60 

4T^ 

35/6 

6 

634 


Spacing 
22  ties 
per  rail 
ft.  in. 


1  6 


Head 

234 


2/2 


234 


24 

25^ 


23^ 


TABLE  17. 

CUBIC  YARDS  OF  BALLAST  REQUIRED  FOR  VARIOUS 
DEPTHS  BELOW  TOP  OF  TIE. 


Top  Width 

Cubic  Yds.  per  100  Ft. 

Cubic  Yds.  per  Mile 

Single 
Track 

Depth  Below  Top  of  Tie 

9  in.     12  in.     15  in.     18  in. 

Depth  Below  Top  of  Tie 
9  in.     12  in.     15  in.     18  in. 

10 
11 
12 
Double 
Track 

22.26     33.14     44.48     56.23 
25.03     36.84     49.11      61.83 
27.80     40.54     53.74     67.38 

1177      1739      2370       2980 
1342       1947      2600       3270 
1468       2143       2840      3650 

22 
23 
24 


48.00  69.94  96.14  115.35  2540  3700  5080  6100 
50.76  73.64  100.77  120.90  2680  3900  5320  6390 
52.72  77.00  103.99  124.13  2780  4060  5490  6550 


226 


TABLES 


0 

TH         CO 

j  ^^^:  i,;^ 

^'S:^^1^.^ 

ON  00  O\ 

Kyi 

CM       CO 

U-l      ""                   rt               -H 

U 

o  o 

"^  ^^55;^^ 

3  VC  l^  O1  CO  O  O 

o    o  o 

CA) 

rt   ^H 

CY* 

H 

. 

^r~;  O      CO  &3  TH 

r—  1 

. 

-*-*  ^                           *  c^  rr  ~~ 

(^)                                 .     X-J-NM-SOpNPO^CO 

^\oO\-^^5O^flO 

O 

CO  CO  >0  0   0 

^  OC       •       •              •       •   GO   CO   CO   t""   GO 

W                           j;;     t-3\r^su^.t->.irN 

1^- 

'««e*«Si 

£ 

I-H    TH        •       •               •       •   03   TH    O   Oi   CO 

O\O\OO\i-H  o\ 

OQ 
fe 

0 

•    CO    CO   CO   Ci   C\2 
'^              •       •              •   HH   00    C5   10   »O   O 

,v  t-     •     •          •  o  o  o  c>  o  CM 

I-H  rH       •       •              •  Cvj   i-H  O   GO   GO   t- 
•       •               •   CO    CO   CO   Cd   CM   OJ 

o 

-1-1               •       -OOCO^COTHIOOO 

p*j 

w 

,^0       •       •COOtT-iTHOCviHH^D 
IT,  iH       •       -(MTHOOicOt^-1^1^ 

W          .c        ^^^^? 

^.   ^^y^s 

1—  1 

V              •       •cOCOfOC^CvJCQ^JW 

^>      -M     ^-    "^                 ^OOt^C 

00  O\  \O  ON  CM  O 

HH 

J5          OWioCQ^-^OO^O 
CH»OOt-HHCOCiCOHH»Oi>O 

C/)T—  :COi—IOOCOJ>cO>OHH'+l 
CO   CO   CO  OJ   W   OJ   Cvj   (M  CVJ   O3 

O               *"*      •    '-OT-iu-)O-«d-C- 

Sc   * 

ro  <M  CO  —  05  0, 

2 

(/J 
<U            OTH(^Jt-OHH^HHOO 

O  i! 

PH 

in 

£HHGOCOHHCOTti»OcOGCTHHH 
r^THOOicOt^-COlOioCOCOO! 
^^          CONC5WC5C3CJCCINN 

^  d^  «  ^ 

O           OOOTHOrHCO't'^O 

^X^^Xr'is 

2P 

.      00   <£>   «0   HH    HH   10    t-   o    TH    •*    GO 
T-iGOt-OiOTticOcOIMT-O 

^      (Mdc^wNwoaNcaiN 

.  w  ^  5'" 

05    PL]    ri-    ^  ^.   £5  1>  •  p  vo  0;  ^ 

ZI""! 

W  P 

G           O   00    CO   tO   Ol    Oi    "HH 
J  S    T-l    CC    O    HH    CO    (M    TH    S         •         •         • 

TH  r;  fn     •-  ^ 

W    r         C 

QQ    ^ 

^          CV?   CJ   CQ   O3   W   OJ   cv>       •       •       • 

^  ^   £ 

<    ** 

O    CO   CO   O        •               .... 
iH   <M    0>    CO   >^       •               .       •       •        • 

s£! 

P4 

(M  03  (M   <?>      -              .... 

H  w  m  ^s  55^5S 

oc  a,  ^'a^l^  o 

PQ 

o  o  TH     •    •    •         !     !    ;     ! 

U     en          -  oH-r^T-H-oo 

W 

C-2  <M       

^H          CJ 

H  1 

O 

J°    CO 

en 

5-<     fli 

fc  5 

<I 

P-|Pq^H.OC<lCOTHZ>>OC<lT—  IOO 

^        ^.S  ^•^^'^^^ 

^^S^^tS^ 

ij_,    flj'^THCJOOlt-COOHHcOCi 

"~<H                 ^                              T  CX?  CO 

CO  ON  O  O\  CO  O 

CO 

O  —  <    U-^^TtHCOCOCOCOCOOOCO 

^g         eg 

H 

6<^ 

o 

fOH-H-H-tr.to 

O 

T-H   en  J^ 

o 

i—  > 

C^73S           O           lOtOHH           CO 

fe 

PH    b/3(^  o  rl   CO   10'   GO'  (M*  CO   O  >O  O 
u-i    G    ^(MTHOOiOOGOit^t-COCO 

<       .s  ^^^^ 

O"  a^  \oa\  Th  o 

^J    P^ 

<M                                                     T—  ' 

T"H 

PH 

o 

W 

£H 

u 

pq 

^ 

p 

H       ^ 

^ 

GPq>H      <-l-l-|-t-l-l-'-H      t  -1     4-1      IJ       II 

C^           o  be 

227 


INDEX 

A 

Agencies,    exclusive    labor 12 

Agencies,    labor 11 

Air  rail  unloaders 99 

Anchors,    rail 94 

Angle    bars,    distributing .' 102 

Angle  bars,  number  required  per  mile 227 

Assistant    foreman 92 

Assistant  foreman,   surfacing k. 162 

B 

Back  bolters 92 

Ballast  cars,  type  of 155 

Ballast,  amounts  required  for  various  heights  of  raise 226 

Ballast,     unloading 156 

Bender,    rail 34 

Benders,  rail 56 

Boarding    camps 63 

Boarding  camps,  Company 19 

Bolters,   Back.. 92 

Bolts,    distributing , ....104 

Boxes,    tool 36,  iOS 

Building  second  track 96 

Bureaus,    company    labor 17 

Bureau,   labor 17 

C 

Camp,  moving  to  the  front 64 

Camps,    boarding 19,  63 

Care  of  tools ~  30 

Cars,    ballast 155 

Cars,  hand 37 

Cars,    motor 40 

Centers,    filling   and   tamping 161 

Centers,  tamping 162 

Checking  material  for  slip    switches : 151 

Checking    material 151 

Choice  of  laborers 1 6 

Combination  of  maintenance  and  construction  forces 24 

Company  boarding  camps 19 

Company  labor  bureaus 17 

Conclusions,    track    laying 95 

Constructing  a  ladder  track 137 

228 


INDEX 


Constructing  track  on  a  new  line 60 

Construction,   yard 171 

Cost  of  surfacing  track 167 

Cost  of  track  laying 73 

Crossover,   distances   between  frogs 227 

Crossover   frogs,    locating 151 

Crossovers    109,139 

Curve  elevation  on  double  track 57 

Curve,  laying  out  with  a  50  ft.  tape 181 

Curves,   superelevation  on 57 

Curving  rails 49,  55 

Cutting  off  short  pieces  of  rail 54 

Cutting  rails 49 

Cutting  rails 52 

Cutting  rails,  simple  method 55 

D 

Degree   of  turnout   curve   on  curve  track 225 

Derrick  for  laying  track 86 

Derrick,    rail 98 

Distributing  angle   bars 103 

Distribution   for   second   track 96 

Distribution  of  material  for  yard  tracks 174 

Distribution   of   track   material   simultaneously 107 

Distributing  nut  locks 106 

Distributing    ties 103 

Distributing  track  bolts 104 

Double  slip  switch 147 

Double  slip  switch,  putting  in  one  side  at  a  time 147 

Double  slip  switch,  setting  up  complete  outside  of  track 149 

Double  track,  distribution  for 96 

Double    tracking ; 96 

Drill,   rail 34 

Drummond  track  layer 77 

Dry  cells,  motor  car 42 


Elevation,  curve,  on  double  track 57 

Elevation  of  curves.... 57 

Elevation  table ~ 224 

End  fillers 460 

Exclusive  labor  agencies 12 

Exorbitant  labor  fees 12 

Expansion    51 

Expansion   table   for  laying  rails 219 

F 
Fees,   exorbitant  labor 12 

229 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    WORK 


Fiddle,    tie 34 

Filling  and  tamping  centers 161 

Foreman  93 

Foreman,    assistant 92 

Foreman,  assistant  on  surfacing  gang 162 

Foreman   of  surfacing  gang 162 

Foreman's  treatment  of  men 22 

Fork,  rail 34 

Frog  board  219 

Frogs,  crossover,  locating „ 151 

G 

Gage    33 

Gage,    hook ?5 

Gage    man 88 

Gage    spikers 51 

Gage  widening 58 

Gage  widening  table  221 

General   notes,    surfacing 165 

Glossary 183 

Good  tools  30 

Graded  rates  of  wages -. 20 

Grading  for  yard  construction 171 

H 

Hammer  man 160 

Hand   cars 37 

Hand  cars,  front  and  rear 39 

Hand   cars,   grinding 39 

Hand  cars,  oiling 40 

Hand  cars,  wheels  binding 38 

Handling    laborers 26 

Hangers,    strap 89 

Harris   track   layer 75 

Head  line  spikers 90 

Height  of  raise 164 

High    spikers    91 

Hook    gage 35 

Hurley  track  layer 67 

I 

Individual  laborer,  the 26 

Instruction  in  track  work... 21 

Interpreters    13 

J 

Jack  hole  diggers 159 

Jack  men 159 

230 


INDEX 


Jack    tampers 159 

Jacks,   filling  for 160 

Joints   per   mile 227 

L 

Labor    agencies '. 11 

Labor  and  organization 11 

Labor  bureaus,  company 17 

Labor,   exclusive  agencies 12 

Labor,   foreman's  treatment  of 22 

Labor,    instruction 21 

Labor,  supply  and  demand 11 

Labor,    transient 14 

Labor,  year  around  work 15 

Laborer,  the  individual 26 

Laborers,    choice    of 16 

Laborers  for  switch  gangs 109 

Laborers,  handling 26 

Laborers,  lack  of 107 

Laborers,  method  of  obtaining 16 

Laborers,   wages   of 15 

Ladder    layout    table : 225 

Ladder    track,    constructing 137 

Ladder  track  dimensions 220 

Ladder   track    switches,    laying ..175 

Ladder    tracks 109 

Laying   ladder   track   switches 175 

Laying  out  curve  with  50  ft.  tape 181 

Laying   temporary   switches 129 

Laying  track,  organization  for r 107 

Laying  track  with  derrick 86 

Laying  turnouts,   detailed   instruction 114-15-16-17-18-19-120 

Laying  turnouts  in  main  line 114 

Laying  yard   tracks 175 

Level    board 33 

Level   board   man 160 

Level,  testing  track  for 167 

Line   spikers,  head 90 

Lining  track 163 

Locating   crossover    frogs 151 

Loss  of  tools 37 

M 

Material  for  yard  tracks,  distribution  of 174 

Material  trains 64 

Material  yard,  arrangement  of 61 

Material  yard  for  track  construction : 60 

Materials,  full  use  of 32 

231 


PRACTICAL   TRACK   WORK 


Method   of   handling   laborers,    suggested 17 

Method  of  obtaining  laborers 16 

Methods,    new 29 

Methods  of  track  laying 65 

Middle   ordinates   for   curving  rails 220 

Misrepresenting  jobs  to  laborers 12 

Motor    cars 40 

Motor  cars,  care  in  operation 44 

Motor  cars,  causes  of  trouble  with 47 

Motor  car,   dry  cells 42 

Motor    car    instruction 43 

Motor  car  operations,  details  of 45 

Motor  car  operators 40 

Motor  cars,  filling  the  tank 42 

Motor    cars,  keeping  clean 41 

Motor  cars  not  to  be  used  for  recreation 43 

Motor   cars,   spark   plugs 42 

Motor  cars,  starting  in  cold  weather 46 

N 

New  line,  constructing  track  on 60 

New  methods 29 

New  track,   frequent   surfacing  necessary .154 

New  track,  preparation  of  subgrade 152 

New    track,    surfacing 152 

No.  10  or  No.  11  turnouts,  putting  in 121 

Nut  locks,  distributing 106 

O 

Operation  of  motor  cars 45 

Operators,   motor   car 40 

Ordering    tools 32 

Ordinates   for   curving   rails 220 

Organization    for    laying    track 107 

Organization,  labor  and 11 

Organization   of  surfacing  gang 158 

Organization   of  tampers 160 

Organization  of  track  gangs 25 

P 

Passing  tracks - 63 

Peddler  - 90 

Placing  rails 102 

Plates,    tie 59 

Pole,  tie 35 

Putting  a  stock  in  rails 56 

232 


INDEX 


Rail  anchors 94 

Rail  bender  34 

Rail  benders 56 

Rail  car,  laying  track  with : 65 

Rail  car  with  tie  teams 66 

Rail,  cutting  off  short  pieces 54 

Rail    derrick 98 

Rail    dimensions    226 

Rail    drill 34 

Rail    fork 34 

Rail    gang 88 

Rail   sections    226 

Rail  tongs 34 

Rail  unloaders,  air 99 

Rails,    curving 55 

Rails,    cutting 52 

Rails,   placing 102 

Rails,  setting  up 108 

Rails,  simple  method  of  cutting 55 

Rails,    unloading 98 

Rails,  unloading  from  flat  cars 99 

Raise,    height    of 164 

Raiser,    the    track 161 

Rates  of  wages,  graded 20 

Repairing    tools 33 

Repairs   during  yard   construction 179 

Roberts  track  layer 70 

S 

Sags 156 

Second  track,  distribution  for 96 

Sections,    rail   226 

Setting  up  a  slip  switch 144 

Setting  up  rails ; 108 

Sewers  and  drains  for  yards 178 

Skids   for   unloading  rail 100 

Slip  switch,  double  (see  double  slip  switch). 

Slip    switch,   general   method  of  laying 143 

Slip  switch,  method  of  putting  in 143 

Slip  switch,  setting  up 144 

Slip  switch,  setting  up  complete  outside  of  track 147 

Slip    switches 140 

Slip  switches,  checking  material  for 151 

Slip   switches,   several  in    same  track 150 

Slip  switches,  spiking 150 

Spacers,   tie 88 

Spark  plugs,  motor  car 42 

Spike    mauls 34 

233 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


Spikers,  disposal  of 91 

Spikers,   gage..... 51 

Spikers,    head    line 90 

Spikers,    high 91 

Spikes,    whipping 50 

Spiking  : 49 

Spiking,    cutting  and   curving  rails 49 

Spiking   slip    switches 150 

Spot    board 33 

Spot  board  bracket 35 

Spot  board   man 158 

Spurring  out  cars 135 

Staking  out  yard  tracks 173 

Starting  motor  cars  in  cold  weather 46 

Stock   in    rails,   making 56 

Strap     hangers 89 

Subgrade,  preparation  on  new  track 152 

Superelevation    on    curves 57 

Supervision   28 

Supervision,    maximum 28 

Surfacing  frequently  necessary  on  new  track 154 

Surfacing  gang,  organization  of 158 

Surfacing,    general   notes 165 

Surfacing  new   track 152 

Surfacing  track,  cost  of 167 

Switch  gang,  laborers  for 109 

Switch  gang,  size  of 109 

Switch  layouts,  inspecting-  similar 150 

Switch   leads    222,223 

Switch  ties,  methods  of  putting  in 110,  111,  112 

Switch  ties,  putting  in 110 

Switch  ties,  sets  for  various  turnouts 221 

Switch,     typical 113 

Switches,   slip 140 

Switches,    temporary.. 129 

Switches  temporary,  laying 129 

T 

Tables    103,105,106,107,182,219 

Tampers,  organization  of 160 

Tampers,  jack. 159 

Tamping    centers 161,162 

Tamping  tools 161 

Temporary    switches 129 

Temporary  switches,  laying 129 

Testing  track  for  level 167 

Tie  fiddle 34 

Tie    plates 59 

Tie  plates,  slip  switch 144 

234 


INDEX 


Tie   pole 35 

Tie    spacing   table . 223,226 

Tie   spacers 88 

Ties,  distributing 103 

Ties  per  mile  for  different  spacings 224 

Ties,  putting  in  switch 110 

Tongs,  rail 34 

Tool    boxes 108 

Tool    man    92 

Tools,  care  of 30 

Tools,    good 30 

Tools,  keeping  in  repair 33 

Tools,  loss  of 37 

Tools,    ordering : 32 

Tools,  tamping 161 

Tools,    track 30 

Track  bolts,   distributing 104 

Track,  building  second 96 

Track   chisel 33 

Track  construction   on  a  new  line 60 

Track  layer,  Drummond 77 

Track  layer,  Harris 75 

Track   layer,    Hurley 67 

Track  layer,  Roberts 70 

Track  laying,  cost  of 73 

Track  laying,  methods  of 65 

Track  laying  with   engine   and   flat   cars 67 

Track  laying  with   improvised  pioneer  car ..-. 78 

Track,  laying  with  rail  car 65 

Track  laying  with  rail  car  and  tie  teams 66 

Track   laying  work   in   detail 86 

Track     lining 163 

Track    raiser 161 

Track,   surfacing  new :. 152 

Track    tools 30 

Track    wrenches 36 

Tracks,    passing 63 

Transient  labor 14 

Treatment  of  laborers,  foreman's 22 

Turnouts    109 

Turnouts,  laying,  detailed  instruction..ll4-115-116-117-118-119-120 

Turnouts,  laying  in  main  line 114 

Turnouts,  putting  in  a  No.  10  or  No.  11 121 

Turnout,     Me  Andrews    temporary 134 

Turnout  without  frogs  or  points 133 

Typical  switch 113 

U 
Unloading    ballast 153 

235 


PRACTICAL    TRACK   WORK 


Unloading   rails '. 98 

Unloading  rails  from   flat   cars 99 

V 
V-frames    100 

W 

Wages  of  laborers 15 

Wages,    rates    of 20 

Whipping    spikes    50 

Widening    gage 58 

Wrenches,    track 36 

Y 

Yard    construction 171 

Yard  construction,  grading  for 171 

Yard  construction,   repairs   during 179 

Yard  tracks,   distribution   of  material 174 

Yard   tracks,   laying 175 

Yard  tracks,  staking  out 173 

Yards,   sewers  and   drains 178 

Year  around  work....  ..  15 


The  Trackman's  Chance 

What  has  been  done  for  the  trackman? 

Track  work  has  been  classed  as  unskilled  labor. 
It  will  always  be  so  classed  until  the  trackman,  him- 
self, changes  the  order  of  things. 

The  professional  man  has  his  instructive  library; 
for  the  guidance  of  the  engineer  there  are  volumes 
packed  with  technical  information  and  absolute  data; 
today  there  are  books  that  teach  even  the  grocer 
and  the  butcher  the  most  approved  modern  methods 
of  running  their  businesses  and  show  them  how  to 
double  their  earnings. 

What   is  there   for  the  trackman? 

Track  work  calls  for  unlimited  patience,  great  en- 
durance, good  judgment,  quick  thinking,  dexterity. 
It  is  skilled  labor  and  the  RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL 
PRESS  is  trying  to  show  trackmen  a  way  in  which 
they  may  prove  this  to  the  world.  The  RAILWAY 
EDUCATIONAL  PRESS  is  emphasizing  the  impor- 
tance of  the  trackman's  work,  so  that  the  construc- 
tion and  maintenance  of  track  shall  be  given  the 

standing  rightfully  due  them shall  be  elevated  to  the 

dignity  of  a  profession. 

Practical  Track  Work  and  PRACTICAL  TRACK 
MAINTENANCE  are  the  first  two  completed  vol- 
umes of  a  series  of  books  on  track  work. 

These  books,  the  ones  which  are  described  in  the 
following  pages,  and  others,  will  form  a  snug  little 
library,  and  they  will  tell  everything  there  is  to  tell 
on  the  great  and  important  subject  of  track  work. 

With  the  aid  of  this  library,  any  trackman  has  it 
in  his  power  to  become  an  expert  worker.  Expert 
workers  in  any  line  are  well  paid;  they  have  stand- 
ing; they  demand  recognition — and  they  get  it. 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS.  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :     :     :     :     :    Illinois 


237 


Practical  Track 
Maintenance 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By  KENNETH  L.  UAN  AUKEN 


Table  of  Contents 

Chapter  I — The  Big  Problem — 
Labor. 

Chapter  II Developing  Track 

Foremen. 

Chapter  III — How  to  Handle 
Laborers. 

Chapter  IV Renewing    Ties. 

Chapter  V — Relaying  Rail. 

Chapter  VI — Ballasting  and  Sur- 
facing. 

Chapter  VII — Reports  and  Ac- 
counts. 

Chapter  VIII— Spring    Work. 

Chapter  IX — Summer  Work. 

Chapter  X— Fall  Work. 

Chapter  XI— Winter   Work. 

Chapter  XII— Track  Work  in  the 
Tropics. 

Chapter  XIII  —  Yard  Mainten- 
ance. 

Chapter  XIV  —  Rapid  Improve- 
ment of  a  Section. 

Chapter  XV  —  Track  Materials, 
Tools  and  Appliances. 


"/  know  of  nothing  ever  put  in  print  of 
such  value." 

— Engineer  Maintenance  of  Way 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS,  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :     :     :     :     :    Illinois 


238 


Simplified  Curve  and 
Switch  Work 

(Price  $1.50  Postpaid) 

By  W.  F.  Rench*  Supervisor 
Pennsylvania  Railroad 

This  is  just  the  kind  of  a  book  you  would 
expect  from  Mr.  Rench,  who  is  a  practical, 
hard-headed  trackman,  and  who  has  been 
through  the  mill  of  practical  experience. 

The  trackman  who  has  this  book  can  cor- 
rect his  curves,  lay  out  easement  or  spiral 
curves,  can  lay  out  switches  or  industrial  spurs 
without  assistance  from  the  engineer. 

These  difficult  technical  subjects  are  sim- 
plified into  practical  form  for  the  everyday  use 
of  the  practical  track  man. 

Made  in  pocket  size  so  that  the  track  fore- 
man can  carry  it  with  him  whenever  it  is  nec- 
essary to  line  curves  or  lay  out  switches. 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS.  Inc. 

Fourteen   East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :      :      :      :      :     Illinois 


239 


Maintenance  Methods 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By  EARL  STIMSON 

Engineer  Maintenance  of  Way,  Baltimore  &  Ohio 
Railroad 

This  book  is  a  pioneer  in  its  field.  It  dis- 
cusses the  different  methods  of  organizing 
maintenance  work  and  gives  detailed  meth- 
ods for  getting  the  most  work  done  with  the 
least  amount  of  labor.  It  gives  the  track 
foreman  many  specific  instances  of  methods 
he  can  easily  apply  to  increase  the  work  of 
his  gang. 

Promotion  comes  to  the  track  man  who 
maintains  his  track  in  the  best  shape  at  the 
least  expense.  This  book  tells  the  track  man 
how  to  increase  his  ability  and  the  amount 
of  work  done  by  his  gang  so  that  he  may 
attract  the  favorable  attention  of  higher  offi- 
cials. 

A  twentieth  century  track  book,  giving 
the  very  latest  and  best  ideas  on  main- 
tenance methods. 

(Manuscript  under  preparation,  read}} 
for   distribution   January    /,    1917.} 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS,  inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :      :      :      :      :    Illinois 


240 


Winter  Track  Work 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By  E.  R.  LEWIS 

Assistant  to  General  Manager,  D.  5.  5.  &  A.  Ry. 

A  thorough  and  practical  book,  tell- 
ing the  track  man  just  how  to  handle 
his  winter  work,  from  shimming  to  op- 
erating a  snow-bucking  train. 

E.  R.  Lewis,  the  author,  has  had  30 
years'  railroad  experience,  starting  in  at 
the  bottom  where  he  had  charge  of  a 
few  miles  of  track,  and  holding  various 
positions  up  to  his  present  position 
where  he  has  charge  of  track  main- 
tenance and  construction  on  the  entire 
system. 

The  book  lives  up  to  all  you  would 
expect  from  such  a  prominent,  prac- 
tical man. 

(Manuscript  under  preparation;  ready 
for   distribution    October    /,    79/6) 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS.  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :     :     :     :     :    Illinois 


241 


The  Autocrat  at  the  Lunch  Table 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By    BRUCE    U.    CRANDALL 

The  only  book  published  which  takes  up  the  rela- 
tion between  railway  supply  men,  and  railway  com- 
panies and  officials;  written  in  an  interesting  conver- 
sational style  and  containing  much  information  useful 
to  both  railway  and  supply  man. 


P.  L.  Maury,  sales  manager  of  The  Sherwin-Wil- 
liams Company,  says:  "I  received  the  copy  of  The 
Autocrat  at  the  Lunch  Table  and  have  enjoyed  it  so 
much  and  found  it  so  good  that  I  am  having  our 
purchasing  agent  send  you  an  order  for  twelve  copies. 
I  would  like  to  have  this  order  cover  the  one  copy 
which  you  sent  me,  leaving  a  balance  of  eleven  copies, 
which  I  wish  you  would  send  to  me  also  as  soon  as 
possible.  I  desire  these  for  our  railway  representa- 
tives, for  I  think  that  your  book  contains  a  lot  of  good 
common  horse  sense  that  all  of  us  can  read  and 
thereby  profit  from.** 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS.  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :     :     :     :     :    Illinois 


242 


THE  TRACK  PRIMER 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By  CHARLES  L.  VAN  AUKEN 

Written  for  the  benefit  of  the  track 
laborer,  assistant  foreman  and  foreman;  a 
carefully  detailed  description  of  how  to  do 
all  the  little  jobs  in  track  maintenance. 

This  book  is  written  in  exceptionally  sim- 
ple English,  so  that  it  can  be  understood  by 
a  green  track  laborer  or  by  any  foreign 
laborer  who  understands  the  English  lan- 
guage. 

Questions  are  given  at  the  end  of  each 
chapter  for  the  reader  to  answer  and  the 
book  is  in  every  way  equal  to  a  correspond- 
ence course — at  one-twentieth  the  price. 

(Manuscript  under  preparation.  Vol- 
ume 1  will  be  ready  for  distribution 
November  /,  1916.  Volume  2  will 
be  ready  j 'or  distribution  June  /,  1918) 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS.  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :     :     :     :     :    Illinois 


243 


Inspecting  Track  and 
Roadway 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By   STEPHEN    J.    EUANS 

Good  track  inspection,  like  good 
track  drainage,  is  the  foundation  of 
good  maintenance.  Further,  it  is  the 
basis  of  safety. 

For  these  reasons  this  volume  on  in- 
spection, written  by  a  man  who  has  had 
experience  as  track  laborer,  foreman, 
general  track  foreman  and  roadmaster, 
will  be  in  demand  with  every  live  track- 
man. 

A  trackman  must  know  everything 
contained  in  this  volume  if  he  expects 
to  maintain  his  track  in  high  class  shape 
and  to  merit  promotion. 

(Manuscript  under  preparation;  ready 
for    distribution    January    /,    1917) 

RAILWAV  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS,  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :     :     :     :     :    Illinois 


244 


ROADBED  AND  TRACK 
DRAINAGE 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By    KENNETH    L.   VAN  AUKEN 

The  basis  of  good  track  maintenance  is  a 
good  foundation;  and  a  good  foundation  is 
possible  only  with  good  drainage. 

ROADBED  AND  TRACK  DRAINAGE, 
therefore,  fills  a  long-felt  want.  It  discusses 
subgrade  conditions  and  gives  the  trackman 
information  from  which  he  can  determine 
whether  or  not  his  drainage  is  defective,  and 
then  gives  practical  methods  for  bettering  it. 

This  book  explains  why  track  frequently  is 
hard  to  maintain,  even  though  there  is  plenty 
of  ballast  and  no  apparent  reason  for  its  con- 
stant settling. 

There  is  nothing  of  greater  importance  in 
track  maintenance  than  track  drainage  and 
every  trackman  who  buys  this  thoroughly  prac- 
tical book  will  be  greatly  benefited  by  it. 

(Now  under  preparation;  ready  for  dis- 
tribution January  /,  79/7) 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS.  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :      :      :      :      :    Illinois 


245 


I  D       I  ULKJH 


342160 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


